


Reset

by howsolocanyougo, No_one_at_the_beach



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Almost virgin Rey, Alpha Ben Solo, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst, Do I need to put Poe/Finn too?, F/M, Fertility Issues, I'm only putting this in there because a few people complained, Omega Rey, Orphan Rey (Star Wars), Sharing a Bed, Slight Kylux implied, Slow Burn, Soft Ben Solo, but here i am, this has been in my brain, we don't need another A/B/O fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-07-18 17:06:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 40,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16122983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/howsolocanyougo/pseuds/howsolocanyougo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/No_one_at_the_beach/pseuds/No_one_at_the_beach
Summary: “Well, you had an episode that we call a ‘repressive heat’, and that landed you here."Rey finds herself at Reset, a facility to help Omega and Alpha traits present in those that have repressive heats and ruts.





	1. Repressive

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little idea that has been floating around in my head. 
> 
> **Now with editing help from @howsolocanyougo! Thank you!

Waking up unexpectedly in a hospital is never a good thing. So when Rey’s eyes cracked open and the bright florescent light shown through, she winced. An accompanying steady beep startled her, and she sat upright quickly. 

“Steady now,” came a soft female voice, stepping in behind a closed curtain. 

“How did I get here? I have to go.” Rey started to make moves to get up from the bed, and the older woman’s hand pushed gently down on her shoulder, coaxing her back into the pillows. 

“No ma’am, you’re not going anywhere yet. Relax,” she spoke softly and flipped through the pages on the clipboard in her hand. 

“I’m Dr. Organa. Do you know why you’re here Rey?” the doctor looked up at the young woman, who nervously shook her head no. 

“Well, you had an episode that we call a ‘repressive heat,’ and that landed you here. Do you know what a repressive heat is?” 

Rey shook her head no again. 

“Well, as I’m sure you know, there are Alphas, Omegas, and Betas. I‘m assuming that you thought you were a Beta. Is that correct?” the doctor asked her. 

“Yes,” said Rey, nervously twisting the bed sheet in her hands. 

“Well, you aren’t. It seems you’re an Omega. A repressive heat is when the body is trying to go into heat, and can’t, due to Omega traits not yet presenting themselves. This happens for a variety of reasons, including lack of proper nutrition during childhood, or extreme stress pre-puberty. Would that be something you would be able to relate to?” The doctor asked gently, and was quiet while she waited for an answer. Rey just started down at her hands, and gave a barely perceptible nod. 

The doctor reached over and grabbed her hand. “Hey, it’s ok. This is easily fixable, ok?”

“I don’t have insurance or anything,” Rey said suddenly, looking up with panic in her eyes. “I don’t even know how I can pay for this stay and…”

“Hey hey, calm down,” the doctor said reassuringly, and squeezed her hand. “We figured that out when we picked you up from the gentleman that you work for. He’s lovely by the way,” Dr. Organa ended the sentence with a hint of sarcasm. Rey looked up and the doctor winked at her, lightening the mood. 

“He’s horrid,” Rey said with a small, sad laugh. 

“Yes, I suppose that’s true. But, he did call 911, so that’s something. But we worked out a bit of your story from him, and gathered maybe a few of the causes of all of this.” 

Rey sighed and raised her head, locking eyes with the doctor. “Ok, so how do we fix this? How do I go back to being a Beta.”

Dr. Organa frowned at Rey. “Honey, you were always an Omega. Your body just hasn’t had a chance to let your defining traits present.” 

“Defining traits?” Rey asked, and the doctor cocked her head. 

“Do you know much about Omegas?” 

Rey blushed, “Um, not much. Just… maybe some things I’ve seen in magazines or… uh… Don’t they like… uh… sex stuff a lot?” 

The doctor’s mouth quirked up. “How about this? I am going to bring in some pamphlets, as well as a brochure on a place you should think about heading to for a while. I’ve sent patients there before, and it works well for getting Alpha and Omega traits to present when maybe they have been a bit too recessed.”

Rey looked at Dr. Organa with confusion. “Like, rehab? I can’t even afford this right now.”

“Don’t worry about the cost. This visit, and if you chose to go to the facility, will be covered. We have grants in place for people like you.”

Rey winced at ‘people like you’ and Dr. Organa sighed, regretting her choice of words. 

“This isn’t charity Rey. Omegas are protected under law, and it is my job as a doctor to make sure that you are healthy and informed. I can’t make you go or do anything, but if your body tries to have a repressive heat again, it’s going to go a similar way. Eventually, a repressive heat can put you in a coma, and sometimes… well, I don’t want to scare you, but sometimes Omegas that become comatose, they don’t wake up.

Rey swallowed and chewed her lip. “Look, I’m going to go get the literature, and we’re going to keep you here for at least another day. Read over everything, and we can talk about it later if you want.”

Dr. Organa left the room, and Rey flopped back on her bed, trying to process all the new information.

 

* * *

 

 

It turned out, Rey knew nothing at all, apart glimpses she had caught on Plutt’s computer, about Omegas and Alphas. It also turned out Rey was a bit of a prude, and couldn’t help but blush, even at the technical drawings of knots, and mating glands. But the brochure on the facility, simply called “Reset,” seemed nice. Almost like a summer camp she had seen on TV at one of her early foster homes. Horseback riding, activities… even the main building looked like a cabin. 

A few days later, Rey found herself in the car with Dr. Organa heading to the facility, which was at least a two hour drive outside the city, if not more. Rey had fallen asleep against the window, only to be roused when the tires made contact with gravel. The crunch of the rocks shook her awake, and she stretched slightly, before remembering where she was. The sinking nervousness settled back in her stomach. 

Dr. Organa parked the car and Rey followed her inside. She didn’t even have a bag to bring with her. She felt dirty in her old clothes, but the doctor gave her hand a squeeze and the pair headed into the building, built to look like a large lodge or cabin. 

“Rey, I’m going to check you in. Why don’t you head on into the dining area and grab some lunch. I’ll be in shortly,” she urged Rey, pointing in the direction of a large dining area. 

Rey cautiously headed into the dining room, which had rows of large picnic tables, giving it a rustic feel. There was a buffet set up in the back, so Rey headed in that direction, grabbing a plate before filling it up. The table itself was filled to the brim with meats, veggies, salads… it was more food than Rey had ever seen before in one place. She piled her plate with roast beef and potatoes, scattering green beans on top like sprinkles, before heading to an empty table.  The room started to fill up with groups of two or three people, and all seemed to be in a good mood. 

“Hi!” came an energetic voice from across the table, and a man around Rey’s age plopped down in front of her with a tray of food. “I’m Finn! I’m going to be your first Companion.” Rey’s eyes were wide and she choked on her food. 

“My WHAT?” She sputtered, “I am NOT having sex with you!” She spurted and coughed quite loudly, getting some odd looks from several people within ear shot. 

“Uh, of course not. Did you not… have you not been briefed yet?” he asked, leaning forward and lowering his voice, and Rey shook her head no.

“I just got here and was told to come get lunch,” she started, before Dr. Organa and another man joined them at the table. 

“Rey, this is Luke. He’s the program head here, and he’s going to explain a little bit about how this place works,” she offered.Rey looked with concern between Finn and Luke before leaning over to whisper to Dr. Organa. 

“I don’t want to have sex with him,” she tried to whisper discretely, and Luke laughed. 

“No, this isn’t about sex at all Rey. What we are trying to do is get your brain to connect itself to your Omega side. We find that the brain is simple when it comes to Omega and Alpha traits, so surrounding yourself with an Alpha is the quickest way to kick that side of you into gear. We find most patients spend a week or two here with an Alpha companion, and their Omega traits will usually manifest on their own, and a natural heat should occur shortly thereafter.” 

A heat. Great. Rey was slowly losing her appetite. 

“Rey, don’t worry about heats for now. Most late bloomers, for lack of a better term, go through their first heat heavily sedated in the medical ward. It’s nothing to be worried about… you won’t even know you’re going through it, and you’ll be right as rain on the other side. We can get you on suppressants afterwards, and you’ll be able to function as a normal human.”

“An Omega human,” mumbled Rey, pushing potatoes around on her plate, and Dr. Organa and Luke shared a look, before something caught Luke’s eye from the lobby area. 

“Leia, it seems you have a visitor. I think I can take it from here with Rey, if you’re ok with that too, Rey?” 

Rey nodded, and Dr. Organa stood from the table and gave her shoulder a squeeze. “You’ll be just fine here, Rey. I’ll check in with you in a few weeks, ok?”

Rey nodded as the doctor left the table and walked across to the lobby, towards a tall man with dark hair, scowl etched on his features.

“Look who came down from his tower,” Finn mused, and Luke shot him a look, causing Finn’s amused smirk to fall into a frown. 

Luke turned his attention back on Rey. “Finn here will be your Companion, in a strictly platonic way. Think of him as a best friend. There’s a lot to do here on the property, you just need to make sure you have Finn with you at all times. His Alpha scent is going to aid your brain in firing up those receptors and waking that Omega part of you up.”

Rey sighed and pushed her plate away. “OK I guess. Is it alright if I go lay down for a bit? This has all been a bit… much.”

Luke smiled, and Finn hopped up from the table. “Absolutely. Finn, why don’t you show Rey where she’s going to be staying for a while.”

Finn grabbed Rey’s hand and tugged her down the hallway. She jerked her hand away, and Finn looked up surprised. “Don’t hold my hand,” Rey snapped, “I can follow just fine on my own.” Finn continued down a maze of hallways, shrugging off Rey’s dislike of his gesture. 

He finally opened up a door to a small apartment. It had a common room with a large television, a small kitchen, and two doors on the other side of the living space. 

“Your room is on the left Rey. You’ve got your own bathroom. Mine’s on the right,” Finn explained, opening Rey’s door. “You’ve got clothes in the closet and drawers that are in your size, Leia called ahead, but if you need anything else or something doesn’t fit, just let me know.”

Rey felt tired. She thanked Finn, but then shut the door on him. She wasn’t used to people being so… nice? Energetic? She felt exhausted already. She climbed into the bed, and closed her eyes. 

* * *

 

After a few days, Rey got into a groove at Reset. Finn, though he came on strong at first, proved to be a great roommate. He cooked breakfast every day, and they ate in the large dining hall the other two meals. He didn’t crowd her space, but planned fun activities for them, even if it was just a movie marathon. Rey got to ride a horse for the first time, drove a dune buggy through the mountains, went hiking… it really was like that summer camp from the movie. Some of the other Alphas at the facility started hanging out with Finn and Rey after a week, a male Alpha named Poe, and a female Alpha named Rose. Rey liked their friendship, but also knew that Luke had asked them to join the duo in hanging out. Introducing new Alphas was a way to try different scents on Rey, seeing if her body would respond to another Alpha,  since her time with Finn hadn't yet coaxed the response out of any of her Omega traits. 

Every other day Rey was in Luke’s office for a quick exam, temperature monitoring, and conversation. Luke explained the signs she should expect when her traits presented, like an increase in temperature, sore spots where her glands should be, and the ability to smell the Alphas around her. Rey wasn’t sure what she was supposed to smell other than the soap they each used, and some Old Spice deodorant on Poe, but they smelled normal to her. Luke seemed to be frustrated that she wasn’t presenting yet, but each day he only made notes and sent her on her way. 

Three weeks in, Rey awoke one morning feeling groggy. Maybe she had a cold. Finn was mildly concerned, offering to call Luke, but Rey brushed it off. They had a hike planned, and even though she wasn’t feeling great, she had gotten used to their daily activities and wanted to get outside. Poe and Rose offered to join, and the four headed out right after breakfast. 

“What is it like being an Alpha?” Rey asked, as they climbed the pathway up to the trail head. Reset was located on acres upon acres of protected lands, in a valley at the base of the Appalachian Mountains. Everything was woods and mossy and rock, and Rey didn’t know there was that much green in all the galaxy. 

Poe laughed, “Well, you smell everything.” 

Rey wrinkled her nose, “What’s THAT like?”

“Well, when it’s the right guy or girl, it’s amazing. It infects your soul sometimes, how good someone smells,” he offered, wistful look in his eye. 

“There was a guy in high school, an Omega, and he smelled like warm bread, fresh out of the oven. And my favorite cereal, and also just… like home. Like, you want to bury yourself in them forever,” Rose mused. 

“But also, sometimes other Alphas can smell… sour?” Finn said, and Poe agreed. “Like burnt toast, or rotten eggs.” 

“So, it’s all about smell?” Rey asked, a little breathless early on into their hike. Maybe she was getting a cold or something. 

“Well, there’s also this need. Sometimes, you just want to fuck. It’s primal. I can’t explain it,” Poe looked for the words.

Rose nodded, “Not to be as crude as Poe here, but when you go into rut, it’s just like a light switch. You kind of lose your mind. The first time it happened to me, I blacked out. I have no idea what happened.” 

Rey grimaced. “That doesn’t sound good at all,” she said. 

Finn shrugged. “No one wants to go into rut, but when you do, you’re so in the moment you can’t think about much else. But, everyone is different.  Like, I hear Solo is so controlled he doesn’t even go into rut anymore.”

“Who’s Solo?” asked Rey, following closely behind Finn up the trail path. She reached for her water bottle, suddenly thirsty. 

“Another Alpha at Reset,” answered Poe, voice thick with disdain. “He’s related to Luke, so he gets his own place away from the compound.”

“Poe, you know that’s not why he has a place far away,” Rose scolded, and Rey looked back at her for further explanation. “Solo deals with the harder cases. The Omegas that don’t present after a few weeks.” 

“Like me?” Rey asked, and Rose faltered for a second. 

“Rey, I don’t think she meant you at all. You’ll come around, don’t stress.” Finn squeezed her shoulder and quickly ran a finger over the gland on her neck. Everything was an exercise in getting her Omega traits to come through, and Rey had gotten used to all the small gestures.  As she became more comfortable with him, Finn began showing her signs of affection. Rey often noticed him running a finger quickly over the closest gland, or place a gland should be. Wrist. Jaw. Neck. Small stimuli throughout the day. Even their living quarters were built to get the Omega traits in Rey to wake up. Air was circulated through her room containing added pheromones and Alpha scents. But nothing seemed to work. Not Rose or Poe, or Finn’s brushing her glands, or these hikes intended to wear her out so her body would be too exhausted to keep resisting. 

Rey frowned and shrugged him off, passing him on the trail and taking the lead. Finn knew by now not to take it personally, and the four continued in silence. The smell of evergreens grew strong in Rey’s nose, curling around her senses. That piney smell always reminded Rey of Christmas, and winter evenings when she was able to get out of Plutt’s small, dingy apartment and enjoy the Christmas markets in town. That evergreen woodsy smell was one of her favorites. She breathed it in, closing her eyes and savoring the scent, and when she opened them and looked up, it was right into a pair of pretty eyes. 

And then she fainted.  

  
  
  



	2. False Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re awake,” came a deep voice from the corner of the room. Rey sat up quickly, on her guard. She didn’t know this voice at all.
> 
> “Where am I?” she asked, wincing suddenly as she moved her aching body.
> 
> A dark-haired man sat at a small desk, typing away at a laptop. “You’re my guest,” he answered, without looking up.

Yet again, Rey found herself waking up to the steady beep of a heart monitor. She groaned and cracked one eye open, expecting to see the bright lights of the hospital beaming down on her. Instead, she was lying in a bed, that appeared to be in someone’s room. Blinking, she looked around.

“You’re awake,” came a deep voice from the corner of the room. Rey sat up quickly, on her guard. She didn’t know this voice at all.

“Where am I?” she asked, wincing suddenly as she moved her aching body.

A dark-haired man sat at a small desk, typing away at a laptop. “You’re my guest,” he answered, without looking up.

Rey didn’t say anything as the man kept typing. “There’s a smoothie right next to you in that glass if you’re hungry.”

Rey looked to her right, and snatched the glass, taking a large draw from the straw before grimacing.

“That’s horrid,” she spat, placing it back down on the night stand beside the bed.

“Drink it, it’s good for you.” The man said from his seat at the desk, again not looking up from his work.

“Where’s Finn? And Poe?” Rey asked, trying to take in her surroundings. It appeared she was in the bedroom of a small cabin, though the bed she was in was absolutely huge and dwarfed her completely.

“You mean FN2187 and the rest of his idiot friends that almost killed you? They’re back at the main lodge, where they can activate weak-minded Omegas.”

Rey was confused, and a little taken aback. “FN2187? And what do you mean they tried to kill me?”

The man huffed and unfolded from his chair to come sit on a rolling stool next to the bed. He started checking the heart monitor and other small computer devices Rey was hooked up to, before slowly removing the tapes and sensors on her arms and head in a practiced, methodical way.

“FN2187 is his Alpha ID number,. You,” he explained, as each sensor was pulled gently from her skin. “Are an Omega. Who hasn’t presented. There is no reason that, whatever you were doing down there… riding horses and whatnot, should have gone on for three weeks after one repressive heat. Then this morning, you had another partial repressive heat on your hike. You weren’t properly hydrated, you have some severe vitamin deficiencies... If I didn’t get to you, and stop the heat, then you may have landed yourself in a coma.”

Rey’s eyes widened. “I thought… I thought that’s why I was there. So that- so that wouldn’t happen.”

“Yeah well, it shouldn’t. Luke is getting old, and missing important signs in patients at this point. Plus, you don’t even have any physical Omega traits showing yet. You need a teacher. And you need to be around a much stronger Alpha than those fools down at the lodge.”

“And _you_ are?” Rey asked as the man’s eyes focused on her shoulder, peeling a small sensor off.

“I’m a doctor,” he said calmly.

Rey pursed her lips together. “And an Alpha?” The man began carefully removing small sensors from her forehead. Her eyes roamed over his features, so much closer now. The moles that dotted his face. His dark brown eyes, and furrowed brow. The way half of his hair was tied back, and how his glasses had started sliding down his nose. He smelled, well, the whole place smelled of evergreen.

“Yes, I am also an Alpha.”

“So, are you my Companion now?” Rey asked

“This is my home. And like I said, you are my guest.”

“So, you’ll be hanging out with me like Finn did?” Rey asked, and the man’s mouth quirked up slightly.

“In a way, I suppose,” he answered. “But this isn’t going to be like the program you were in down there. You’re a different animal all together.”

Rey shivered. There was something to his tone as he said the last words that ran a chill up her spine.

“What do you mean?” she asked, cocking her head in confusion.

The doctor sighed and stopped wrapping up the cords. He sat up straight on the stool and gave his full attention to the small woman in his bed. “If an Alpha or Omega doesn’t present, it’s… it’s not a black and white thing. What works for 100 Omegas one way, may not be the case with Omega number 101. And you are the exception to this rule. I have helped many Omegas present, and I haven’t lost a patient yet. And I’m not going to lose you either.”

Rey swallowed as he looked at her, his face passive and unreadable. The way he spoke was so clinical, so divorced from the panic and fear she felt. These were facts. These were facts.

“I do things a bit different up here, and some of it is…. rather unorthodox. But it works. This isn’t mandatory Rey, any of this. If you want to get up and head back down to the lodge, you can. But… it’s not going to work there. I can promise, here, what I do… it will work.” He gestured with his hands as he talked, a little bit of passion seeping through the calm exterior.

Rey took a breath. “Ok… I mean, I feel like my choices are try this with you, or… potentially end up in a coma. Is that what you’re saying?”

“In a nutshell, yes,” the doctor said, pushing his glasses up on his nose a little.

“Your bedside manner really sucks,” Rey scowled as she kicked her feet over the side of the bed to stand up.

“Yeah, I’ve been told that before,” the doctor rolled his stool back giving Rey room to stand.

“OK, so, what do I call you while I’m here?” Rey asked, stretching her arms above her head.

“Alpha,” the doctor said to her, a stern look gracing his features.

“You’re joking, right?” Rey asked in response.

“Yes, I am attempting a joke,” the man on the stool said as he rose, hint of a smirk on his lips. “Ben is fine.”

Rey looked at him dryly. “Alright _Ben_ ,” she emphasized his name. “What’s the plan?”

It turned out that Ben had quite the plan. Starting with a new diet plan and an activities schedule. Each day would begin with a vitamin- and herb-infused smoothie and a long morning hike, which Rey actually loved the idea of. Hiking, not the foul smoothie she found herself continuing to choke down as he went over his outline. Lunch time would consist of most likely a soup or salad, heavy in vegetables and protein. Then they’d have a few hours for reading or relaxing (Rey frowned when she noticed only a record player on a shelf where a TV might live) followed by an hour-long massage. Rey raised her eyebrows at this.

“A massage?” she asked, taking another sip of the foul drink in front of her. She placed it back down, pushing it away from her. She couldn’t drink any more.  

“Yes, actually we’ll probably start with that today since it’s already mid-afternoon. I find a massage a great way to stimulate your glands and get your body attuned to mine,” Ben answered, sipping black coffee from a mug.

“Attuned,” Rey repeated back at him with some skepticism, and Ben put the paper he was holding in his hands down, sliding his glasses off.

“Ok, it’s like this Rey. This Alpha/Omega dynamic, you can look at it two ways.” Ben gestured between them as he said this. “One way, is scientific. Numbers, reports, blood tests, etc. And that works, most of the time. You can figure out the right scents, the right combination of medicines or herbs, and those buried Omega traits will pop right to the surface.”

Rey watched him as he searched for the right words to continue. “But we also have to address the fact that these… designations weren’t given to us, we were born with them. It IS animalistic. It’s instinctual. It’s something that’s been in our blood for thousands of years. And we have to acknowledge that too. Omegas and Alphas… they are  something _more_. And it takes physical connections to sometimes activate that… those traits in you. It’s raw, and one day it will be your second nature, once we draw it out. And that’s where some of my… unorthodox approaches come in. Because that’s what our bodies need when it comes to Alphas and Omegas. Less medical, more instinctual. Touch. Smell. Sensations.”

Rey’s face falls into a small frown. “I’m not really used to being touched. I mean, I got comfortable with Finn…” Rey tried to explain and Ben waved a hand at her.

“Your body will adjust to me too,” he seemed matter-of-fact about it.

“Did you just really say ‘Your body will adjust to me’ like it was no big deal. What does that even mean? Is this a sex thing?,” Rey asked skeptically and Ben laughed into his coffee cup.

“I mean, you will be sleeping with me,” he started and Rey’s eyes widened in horror.

“Ahaha no I will not,” she said sarcastically, standing up from the kitchen table. Ben held his hands up in mock surrender.

“Not sex Rey, sleeping. I meant actually sleeping. I was trying to make a joke and…” he paused, holding his next words in his mouth and chewing on the inside of his cheek.

“Sit, please…” he gestured back to the table, and Rey sat with a huff, crossing her arms.

“That was... inappropriate. I apologize. I don’t…. I don’t interact with people that much. Sometimes, I say the wrong thing,” Ben offered, giving her a sincere look before returning his glasses to his face.

Rey huffed again softly, before mumbling, “Horrible bedside manner.”

“I know,” Ben answered, having the decency to look somewhat sheepish. As sheepish as a large man like him could even look. “I do, uh, recommend bed sharing. It helps the process along. The body heat of a partner overnight can stimulate that Omega part of your brain. No sex though, just… same bed.”

Rey looked at him like he was spewing pure nonsense. “Yeah ok,” she said doubtfully. Ben looked at her and sighed in frustration.

“It’s just,” Rey started, clenching her fists together, “This is bullshit. I’ve had enough shit happen in my life, and I was finally on my own two feet, for the most part. I had a job, that I was good at!” Rey looked at Ben, emphasizing the last part. “I was normal. Nothing was wrong with me. I was nothing, and I was surviving. I want to go back to that.”

“No,” Ben said from across the table, “You’re not nothing. You weren’t nothing. And nothing is wrong with you. You are an Omega. And that **_is_ ** something special.”

Rey looked at him like he was nuts. “No, it’s not. I’m going to go into heats. I’m going to be smelling people, and reduced to… to biology. That’s not a way to live.”

“I don’t want you to feel that way Rey. You’re going to live an amazing life. Being an Omega, it’s not some sort of burden,” Ben tried to explain. Rey rolled her eyes.

“How would you know?” she shot back.

There was a pause in the conversation, the words hanging in the air. Rey looked down at her hands, and Ben searched for the right words.

“Trust me,” he said softly, causing her to look up into his eyes. “I’m a doctor.” He smiled and Rey let out a small, sarcastic laugh. Ben kept smiling and she found herself relaxing a little.

“This is something else. Something new. This process, which will work, and all of this. I know you’re nervous about being an Omega, but it’s going to be alright. And _you_ , are going to be alright,” he said confidently.  

Rey hoped he was right.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super, big, huge thank you to @howsolocanyougo who is literally elevating my writing. You're awesome. 
> 
> Like it so far? Comments feed the writing beast. 
> 
> And before you ask... Chapter three is written. Stay tuned....(but don't get used to this sort of pace...)
> 
> Come say hi to me on Tumblr: no-one-at-the-beach


	3. Reboot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Have you ever had a massage before?” he asked, gently folding the sheet back from her head. 
> 
> “Oh yeah, every week I schedule one in between my mani-pedis,” Rey answered sarcastically. Ben gave a small snort.

Shortly after their conversation,  Rey found herself face down on a massage table that Ben had pulled out from a small closet off the living room.

“Just go ahead and take off everything but your underwear, and there’s a robe in the bathroom you can slip on. When you’re comfortable, come on out, and lay face down on the table. I’ll leave a sheet for you to cover yourself with,” Ben had said.

Rey had never had a massage before. That was a luxury left for at least the middle class. Not someone who worked in a junk yard .all day just to barely scrape by. But here she was, laid out on the portable table,  looking at the hardwood floor through the face cradle She heard Ben enter the cottage. He had stepped outside to give her privacy. Yeah, outside. That’s how small this place was.

Rey had made sure to cover herself completely with the sheet, head to toe. Ben stifled a laugh when he walked in and headed to her side.

“Have you ever had a massage before?” he asked, gently folding the sheet back from her head.

“Oh yeah, every week I schedule one in between my mani-pedis,” Rey answered  sarcastically. Ben gave a small snort.

“Point taken,” he responded, glancing over the freckled skin on her shoulders, and the sports bra she had chosen not to remove, and shook his head slightly. “You know, most people also take their bras off.”

“You said I could leave my underwear on, and technically bras are underwear, _and_ I still don’t know if you’re some pervert or not,” she responded, her ponytail bobbing as she talked down into the face cradle.

She had, in fact, gotten validation he was not, indeed, a pervert. After insisting on calling the lodge, she spoke not only to Luke, but Dr. Organa as well. Luke seemed sheepish in his response, clearly not happy with his inability to keep her from a second repressive heat, and hesitant about the younger doctor that was now caring for her. But Dr. Organa seemed sure of this Dr. Ben Solo, and his ability to get her Omega traits to come to the surface.

“I would trust Dr. Solo with my life,” said Dr. Organa over the phone, “and that’s not something I say lightly.”

So here she was, about to get a massage from an Alpha doctor she just met, in the cabin that she would now be sharing with him until this was all over. This didn’t seem ethically sound. She made a note to see if this was covered by the Hippocratic oath, although she was sure it didn’t account for Omegas.

Soft music started playing, causing Rey to jump in surprise.

“Easy,” Ben said, laying a hand on upper back, causing her to jump again.

He chuckled softly and rubbed the nape of her neck, “Don’t be so jumpy. This is supposed to be relaxing. I’m sure many people would love to be in your shoes right now.”

Rey scowled at the floor. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? Or is it a testament to how good your hands are?” She cringed. _How good your hands are?_

“Relax,” Ben said a little more firmly, pressing on a point on the side of her neck. Rey felt herself relax. Not all the way, but a little. _Well, that’s new._

“Good girl,” Ben said under his breath, and began kneading her shoulder muscles.

Rey shifted uncomfortably on the table. “Are you doing ok?” he asked gently as he worked at knots in her back.

“I’m not… I’m not used to being touched. It’s… uncomfortable isn’t the right word,” Rey struggled to communicate the feeling.

“Foreign?” Ben offered, and Rey shook her head. Ben worked his fingertips into the sides of her neck, and Rey let out a little sigh.

“Omegas, and Alphas, have a few scent glands that can be extremely sensitive. Yours haven’t presented yet, so part of these daily massages is to see if we can… let’s say… wake them up a little. The more I can stimulate them directly, the more we can get those pheromones working,” Ben explained, rubbing his fingertips over the base of her neck.

“There’s one here,” he said as he kneaded the spot of skin, and Rey felt her eyes roll back in her head. Her muscles loosened.

“And there’s one here.” His hands drifted down and rubbed a spot between her shoulder blades, over the cross straps of her bra. Rey’s breath caught in her chest, and Ben smirked to himself. This was a good sign. He couldn’t see or feel the gland yet, but the reaction was a step in the right direction.

Ben worked his way down her arm, kneading out the tension before getting to her wrist, and slowly rubbed his fingers over her pulse points.

“There’s one here too. On each wrist,” he mused, before moving to the other arm. Working each arm in turn, he then moved back to her shoulders and down her back, folding the sheet so that just the top of her underwear was visible. He worked his way down her sides, kneading his way just to the dimples on her lower back.

“There’s also a relatively sensitive area here too, though I wouldn’t say it’s a gland per say,” he worked his fingers into her lower back, and Rey let out an indecent moan, before coughing to try to cover it up.

Ben worked his hands over her back for another fifteen minutes, and soon the sounds of snoring started emanating from the head of the table. Rey had passed out.

“Oh nice, Ben. You’re so good, you put her right to sleep,” he muttered, carefully gathering Rey into his arms and taking her to the bedroom. Ben knew, however, this was more of her body’s response to the afternoon repressive heat episode.

He laid her down on the California King, far on one side, far from where he would sleep.  He contemplated putting a shirt on her, but she wasn’t indecent, and he didn’t want to wake her. Ben pulled the sheets up, covering her and tucking her in gently. Rey made a little noise of contentment and nestled into the pillow below her head.

This Omega was beautiful. Ben was confident that he could get her to present, but there was that voice in the back of his head. _Would he be able to keep himself in line once she started presenting?_

Ben scoffed at himself. Of course he could. He was a doctor. A damn good one too. He wouldn’t be defined by his animal instincts. No matter how lovely this woman was. Besides, she might not even smell good to him once her pheromones kicked in. Ben nodded to himself, self-assured for now, even if that small voice in the back of his head let him know he was already lying to himself. He could do this… would do this. No strings attached. Strictly professional.

He sighed and ran a hand over his face before heading into the kitchen to make the Omega food in case she woke before morning.

* * *

  


Rey woke up with her head against something both soft and warm. Why was the pillow so hard, but the pillowcase so soft? She tried to bury her face in it to smoosh it up, and groaned when the pillow had no give. She huffed and punched her fist down into it a few times.

“Ow.”

Pillows don’t talk. Do pillows talk? Rey cracked one eye open to see the brown eyes of Ben Solo looking down at her. She was nestled into his chest, a bemused look on his face. She was still in her underwear.

Rey immediately shut her eye, and slinked from his chest, back to her side of the bed and under the covers., She continued her journey off the bed with the sheets wrapped around her like some rudimentary ghost costume, and went directly into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

Ben shut the now forgotten book in his hands, having watched her disappearing act, and placed it on the nightstand. “That went well,” he murmured and padded off to the bathroom door, giving it a soft knock.

“Rey?”

“Go away, I’ve died from embarrassment,” she called back, and Ben cracked a smile.

“Well, if you decide that you’re hungry, I made a little fruit and cheese plate for you. I’ll just, uh, I’ll be in the kitchen if you’re interested.”

Ben picked up his book again and headed to the small kitchen, taking the plate from the fridge and placing it in the middle of the table.

Five minutes later Rey came into the kitchen, now dressed in a t-shirt and gym shorts she dug out of the drawer he had shown her earlier.

“Feeling well-rested?” Ben asked, as Rey popped a large chunk of cheese into her mouth.

“That was embarrassing,” she said through a mouthful.

Ben smiled, putting down the book. “It shouldn’t be. You’ve had a long day. And, actually, it’s a good sign. It means your body is responding to me. I climbed into bed, and you snuggled right up.”

Rey groaned, and Ben laughed a little, shrugging. “I said I was unorthodox.”

Rey snorted. “Yeah, I think sleeping with your patients could be classified as ‘unorthodox’,” she gestured with air quotes.

Ben looked at her and his smile widened. “Yes, but it’s working. And it’s just sleep after all.”

Rey frowned, noticing a small wet spot on his chest. Ben looked down at his shirt, then back up at her.

“Did I drool on you?” she asked, mortified.

Ben quickly shook his head no. “Nah, just spilled some water on myself earlier. Can I get you some?” he asked, avoiding the fact that she had, indeed, been drooling on him for a solid hour before she woke up. Rey nodded and Ben rose to fetch her water from the fridge.

“So, how do you know this is working? It’s been what, less than 24 hours? What makes you so sure?” Rey questioned, popping another chunk of cheese into her mouth.

“Well, a few things. Your body being drawn to me in sleep is one. I got into bed on my side, and on instinct you came to my side,” he explained, replacing the water jug into the fridge. “And this spot on your back already being somewhat responsive.” He grazed the place between her shoulder blades on the way back to the table and Rey sat straight up.

“See?” Ben said, placing the water in front of her, and sliding into the chair across from her, and picking his book back up. Rey sat stunned for a few seconds before taking a sip of water.

She felt something that time. Something new. And unexpected.

Rey frowned and pushed the new sensation down, trying to avoid Ben’s smug gaze from across the table, which he hid poorly behind his novel.

“So, how many Omegas has this worked on?” she asked. Ben seemed to stop reading for a second, pausing, before answering.

“I’ve worked with a lot of Omegas before, so I feel relatively confident about this,” he answered.

Rey narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, but this particular set up. This… “unorthodox” approach. How many times has it worked?”

Ben worked his mouth around a bit before answering. “Well, this would be the first time.”

Rey sat back in her chair. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! I’m a guinea pig?”

Ben put down his book and looked Rey in the eye, pointing at her “This will work. I’ve worked with Omegas in hospital settings before, and I’ve seen… I’ve seen people go through repressed heats. I know the chemistry behind it, and I also know that there’s this biological element that people haven’t researched. We’ve been testing elements of it down at the lodge, and yes… this is the first time I’ve done this exactly but…” He didn’t mean to sound so defensive, but he’d been through this argument with both Luke and his mother, and he knew he was right about this approach.

“You realize this all sounds batshit right?” Rey asked, folding her arms across her chest. “You are asking me to take a lot on faith and have a lot of trust in someone I just met.”

“You talked to my mo…. Dr. Organa, though. And you seem to have trust in her. And she has trust in me. There’s a whole circle of trust thing going on here,” Ben moved his arms outward in an all-encompassing gesture. 

Rey sighed wearily. “Whatever. I really feel backed into a corner here.” There was a lull in the conversation, Ben not sure what to say to make her feel better, and Rey still grappling with the fact that this was even happening to her.  

“What time is it anyway?” she asked, changing the subject.  

Ben looked at his watch. “A little past eleven. Are you still tired?”

Rey yawned in response, and Ben chuckled. “Go get some sleep. The episode you had earlier took a lot out of you, I know. There’s some extra pillows in the linen closet outside the bathroom, if you’d like to use them.” 

“Thanks,” she got up from the table and paused. “ You get why this is weird, right ? This whole thing… it  **_is_ ** foreign. I can’t just be comfortable with all of this. It’s a lot, dumped on me all at once.” 

“I know,” Ben said sympathetically, and nodded at Rey.  

Rey went to leave and paused again briefly, “I know this is ‘unorthodox’ as you keep saying, but there are still lines in place right? I feel like I shouldn’t even have to ask that but…” 

Ben held her gaze for a few moments. “Rey, I promise, there are professional lines I will not cross. This is to make sure that you present and a are healthy, happy Omega when you leave here. That’s it. If it helps, think of me as a live-in physical therapist.”

“And masseuse. And chef. And dietician. And a doctor who makes house calls so often that he moved in?” Rey countered, raising an eyebrow. 

Ben nodded. “Right. Those things too.” He started to say something else, but paused, pressing his lips together. He let out a small sigh and picked up his book again.  “Goodnight Rey. Get some sleep.” 

“Goodnight,” Rey responded, a hint of weariness in her voice, and headed to the bedroom. 

When Ben came in an hour later, he noticed Rey had taken all the extra pillows and made a defining line down the middle of the bed. She covered herself with a separate down blanket she must have also dug out of his linen closet. Ben laughed a little to himself, before he heard a muffled voice coming from under the pile. 

“Before you say this is nesting, it’s not. It’s called not sharing. And making sure there are lines.” 

“Yes ma’am,” Ben said, before sliding into his side of the large bed, feet away from Rey and separated by a wall of pillows. He closed his eyes. 

The smell of the ocean was the last thing to register in his senses before he drifted off. 

  
  
  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are liking it! 
> 
> Chapters slowing down as far as posting starting now... but know smut is coming next chapter. 
> 
> Thank you to @howsolocanyougo for edits and feedback! 
> 
> Come say hi on Tumblr: no-one-at-the-beach


	4. Systems Functional

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tell me Rey,” the voice urged again. “Tell me what you want. I promise, I will make you feel so good.” His mouth landed on her neck again, sucking gently, licking the spot where her gland should be. Rey ground back into the man behind her, needing friction. Needing more. Knowing what she wanted. 
> 
> “You Ben. I want you,” she choked out.

“Good girl,” a smooth, deep voice sank into Rey’s senses. Not just a voice, but a scent. It wrapped around her, drowning her. She was lying face down in bed, and the weight of the person whispering adoration in her ear pressed down into her. Fingers brushed the side of her neck and Rey squirmed. 

“Hold still for me,” the voice said to her. “Can you do that for me, darling?” The fingers brushed over her neck, gently applying pressure to the spot where her gland should have been. Touching that spot made her keen, and she dug her fingers into the pillow, stilling.  

“That’s my girl.” A tongue licked across that ghost of a gland, right where her neck met her shoulder. A shiver ran up Rey’s spine. 

“You taste so good. Do you know that?” The voice whispered against her ear, and soft lips brushed down her neck, peppering kisses. “I’m going to make you feel so good.” 

Suddenly the hand left her neck, and yanked her hips up. She could feel a hard length press against her backside. One hand left her hip to travel up her spine, slowly but firmly pushing her down into the pillow. The hand thumbed the spot between her shoulder blades and Rey arched her back, letting out an obscene moan.

“ _ My  _ girl,” the voice growled, as he ground up against her sex. Rey was wet. She was wetter than she had ever been before, and she let out a whine.

“Tell me what you want darling. Tell me. I’ll give you anything you want,” the voice was back at her ear, bending over her, whispering promises. His scent flooded her nostrils again. It was evergreens. It was a walk in the mountains on a crisp autumn morning. Warm apple cider. Crackling fireplaces. It was everything. 

“Tell me Rey,” the voice urged again. “Tell me what you want. I promise, I will make you feel so good.” His mouth landed on her neck again, sucking gently, licking the spot where her gland should be. Rey ground back into the man behind her, needing friction. Needing more. Knowing what she wanted. 

“You Ben. I want you,” she choked out. 

 

Rey’s eyes flew open. Her leg was flung over the “pillow wall” and she was obscenely grinding against it. She bolted upright, kicking pillows out from between her legs, before freezing. Was she alone? Peeking over the pillow wall, she was grateful to find that side empty.

No Ben in the bed. Her eyes darted wildly around the room. 

No Ben in here. 

She closed her eyes and made a silently plea.  _ Please God, let me not talk in my sleep. _

“Ben?” she called out, and a few seconds later his dark head poked around the corner. 

“Are you up?” he asked, taking a few steps into the bedroom. He held a spatula in one hand and an apron tied around his waist. 

Rey was relieved he didn’t seem to have been anywhere near her during her... whatever kind of dream that was. She cocked her head and took in his appearance. How could she even have had a sex dream about this man standing before her? Hair tied up some hipster half-bun, and covered in who knows what, a mess covering the front of his apron. “Um yeah, I’m up. Are you… cooking?”

Ben looked a little embarrassed suddenly at the apron situation. “Uh yeah. I thought since the smoothie went over  _ so well _ yesterday, maybe a veggie omelet would be a better choice? I had some problems with the uh… eggs though. And the tomatoes.”

Rey laughed at the mess down the front of him. Red and yellow smears covered the white material like a Jackson Pollock canvas.

“How do you not know how to crack an egg?”

“Oh, I know how to. This one just, got away from me I guess.” He paused, chewing on the inside of his mouth, clearly a little more than embarrassed. “So, are you hungry?” he said after a beat. 

Rey’s stomach growled, and Ben nodded to himself. “I am going to take that for a yes. Take your time, breakfast will be ready when you are,” he said, and ducked out of the bedroom. 

Rey ran a hand through her hair. She’d never had a sex dream before. Hell, she’d barely even had sex. Where did all of that come from?

A tingle ran down her spine at the memory before she shook it off. “It’s all this Omega/Alpha talk getting into your head. You do not want to fuck Doctor Ben Solo. Get it together, Rey,” she muttered to herself. “Get. It. Together.”

After taking a quick shower, Rey enjoyed a vegetable omelet in the kitchen, though she was seriously missing the bacon and eggs Finn made her every morning. Ben had managed to clean up most of the kitchen, but she noticed him hastily wiping down the floor with a paper towel as she walked in, and there were still bits of tomato on the wall behind the stove.  _ What the hell did the guy do to get tomato on the wall? _

“Do you have any tea, by chance? PG Tips? Or a nice Earl Grey?” Rey asked, rinsing off her dish in the sink. Ben paused mid sip on his coffee, guilt etching across his face. 

“Oh, no, sorry. I just drink coffee. But I could pick some up on the next supply run.” 

Rey hummed to herself. “That would be nice, thank you.” 

“Ready for a hike today?” Ben asked, finishing the last of his coffee. Rey’s eyes lit up. “Oh yes, I really am! It’s so lovely here, and it smells so amazing outside. So different than the city.”

Ben smiled at her. “Great! Getting out in nature actually helps us connect with those more instinctual and animalistic parts of us,” he explained, following Rey into the bedroom. 

“There are some leggings in one of those drawers, and a t-shirt, but I don’t believe they transferred up anything warmer than that from your clothes down at the lodge. It’s colder up here, so let me find you something else to layer on top.”

Rey dug around in the drawer for the leggings she wore almost constantly when she had been down at the lodge, and a plain, white t-shirt. Ben pulled out a buffalo plaid flannel and a pair of thick socks from one of his closet shelves. 

“This should do for today,” he said, handing her the warmer clothing. The flannel was soft, so soft. Rey rubbed her cheek against it, inhaling deeply. And the smell. There was that intoxicating evergreen scent again.

Ben quirked an eyebrow at the action, a small smile dancing across his features. 

Rey froze when she caught him staring at her, looking bemused. “What?” she asked defensively, quickly ceasing her rubbing.

Ben shook his head and walked about of the bedroom. “Nothing, little Omega,” he said softly.

Rey frowned, shrugging into the shirt. “Don’t make fun of me. It was soft, and it smells good. Everything in here smells good!” She pulled on the wool socks.

“Mmmhmmm,” Ben answered, sitting down in a chair to pull on his hiking boots.  

Rey huffed again. “What? Don’t ‘mmmhmmm’ at me with that tone of condescension.”

Ben raised his hands in mock surrender. “I would never, Omega.” He smiled at her, and Rey’s scowl deepened.

“Rey. Not Omega.” She stated, pointing a finger into his chest. 

Ben bit back the smirk threatening to bloom across his face. “Yes ma’am. Or uh, I should say, yes  _ Rey _ .”

Ben stood, bringing himself to full height in front of her. Now she was eye level with his chest, at which her finger was still pointing. 

“Do you want to berate me a bit longer about names, or would you like to go on this hike?” he asked, bemused expression on his face again. 

Rey looked up and searched his eyes for a second. Those dark brown pools she had looked into before she passed out on yesterday’s hike. She hadn’t seen them in her dream, but she had felt them rake over her body, as his hands drifted down her back to her…

“Rey?” Ben ducked his head to look at her closely before waving his hand in front of her face. “You alright there?”

Rey shook herself from her thoughts, and found her hand on Ben’s chest. She had been pointing into it just a minute ago, but now she found herself seconds away from gripping the soft material of his shirt, yearning to pull him closer. She dropped her hand.  _ What the hell was that? _

“Yes, just a little hot,” she said as she stepped back from Ben, shaking her head again slightly. 

“Hot?” Ben raised an eyebrow, bemused at the ruffled Omega before him. 

“No, I… are we hiking to a spot? A spot.” She tried to cover her slip, and the blooming redness in her face.

“Ah yes, a spot. I suppose we can. There’s a nice view from this one trail and…”

“That sounds great! Let’s go!” She turned from him and headed to the door, scampering out into the brisk morning. It was late autumn and the leaves had mostly fallen, but the evergreens stood out in the bleak expanse of the forest. Rey took a deep breath outside, eager for fresh air, but it was still all the same smell. Evergreen and woodsy. Inside and out. It was starting to become overwhelming. 

Ben locked the door behind him, and walked towards her.. 

“Come on little Ome…uh, Rey.” He caught himself mid-word, and Rey side-eyed him. “Let’s go find that spot,” he encouraged, brushing his fingertips between her shoulder blades ever slow slightly as he passed by, bringing back the flush in her cheeks. Smiling, he took the lead as they set off into the forest. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Working on the next chapter (it's going to be a long one)... but officially chapters are slowing starting now. 
> 
> Everyone's comments... Wow. I am blown away and you guys have made me seriously smile, laugh, and generally feel awesome about this story. 
> 
> @howsolocanyougo... I'm going to owe you when this is all said and done.


	5. Hardware Replacement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That night when they fell asleep, it could have been Ben’s imagination, but there didn’t seem to be as many pillows in the pillow wall. Rey hummed with contentment as she dozed off.
> 
> It definitely wasn’t Ben’s imagination when he awoke early the next morning, before sunrise, to find Rey sprawled half way on top of him, her left leg wedged between his.
> 
> A thousand thoughts ran through his head, but the loudest was: Be a professional. Be a professional.

Within a few days, Rey and Ben settled into a nice rhythm.

Wake up.

Breakfast.

Long hike.

Lunch.

Reading for a few hours.

Massage.

Dinner.

More reading.

Go to bed.

 

And Rey didn’t mind it one bit, for the most part. She was a creature of habit. As an added bonus, she hadn’t had another sex dream. At least, she hadn’t had one she could remember, so she was satisfied going with the “not having one at all” theory.

But she was getting bored... reading was not her idea of leisure time. At least with Finn she could binge Netflix, a novel luxury for her. But Ben didn’t have the most extensive library, and after day three of staring blankly at a page written by some Austen lady, Rey decided to take things in into her own hands.

“I need a screwdriver,” she announced to Ben, settled in his leather armchair with some medical journal, or whatever he was reading.

“Listen, I know my methods are unorthodox, but we’re not drinking hard liquor until at least 4pm,” he stated without looking up.

Rey huffed. “No, the tool, Ben. I need a screwdriver!”

He didn’t look up from his book. “And why is that?”

“Because I’m bored, Ben. I’m so bored.” Rey practically whined, bouncing on the balls of her socked feet in front of him.

He looked up from his book with slight annoyance. “Why don’t you read something else then?”

Rey huffed with exasperation. “If I have to read one more word about Mr. Darcy I’m going to chuck that book into the fireplace. Please give me a screwdriver.”

“First off, all women are supposed to love Mr. Darcy. Secondly, I still don’t understand how a screwdriver will solve your boredom.” He looked at her pointedly.

Rey huffed again. “Clearly, your opinion of women is limited by experience at best.” She paused, frowning disapprovingly. “Because I need to fix something. That’s what I do. I work in a junkyard and fix things. And I haven’t done that in weeks. I. Am. Losing. My. Mind.”

Ben gave her a don’t-be-so-dramatic look before countering, “Well, nothing is broken, so I don’t know what you’re going to fix.”

Rey groaned, throwing her head back, and muttering to herself as she practically stomped into their bedroom. Ben returned to his reading only to be startled a few seconds later, when he heard a loud crash. Ben to shot up from his chair and sprinted to the bedroom doorway, sliding across the wood floors in his socked feet.

“What the hell was that?” He exclaimed. Rey held up his alarm clock, now in several pieces. His face morphed from concern to annoyance. Rey beamed at him.

“Ben! Did you know your alarm clock was broken? Oh no! If only there was someone here that could fix it!” She was clearly pleased with herself. He shook his head before turning and slowly walking up to the pantry. He dropped to his knees, and started moving boxes around in the back of what was basically a utility closet, coughing from the dust he was stirring up.

“I cannot believe she did that,” he muttered as he dug around, finally finding his old tool box and delivering it into Rey’s outstretched hands.

“Thank you, Ben,” she grinned at him and started spreading out the pieces of alarm clock on the kitchen table, exploring the contents of the toolbox with glee. Been shook his head again but a small smile played on his lips at her utter amusement and joy.

The alarm clock was functional again before they went to bed that evening, but its sound had changed slightly. Also, Rey ended up with a few extra parts that she couldn’t place, so she stashed them in the back of her dresser drawer. What Ben didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

That night when they fell asleep, it could have been Ben’s imagination, but there didn’t seem to be as many pillows in the pillow wall. Rey hummed with contentment as she dozed off.

It definitely _wasn’t_ Ben’s imagination when he awoke early the next morning, before sunrise, to find Rey sprawled half way on top of him, her left leg wedged between his.

A thousand thoughts ran through his head, but the loudest was: _Be a professional. Be a professional._

Rey shifted. _Was that a shift? Or was it a…_

 _Nope._ Rey slowly ground against his side, her leg wrapping around his like a snake. Her arm was slung across his chest, and she pulled herself closer to his body.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit._ Ben was a professional, a doctor. He could just, stop this right now. Get right up and out of the bed. He glanced hastily down at her face, which remained serene, her breathing steady. _Maybe that’ll be all. No point in risking waking her up._

A little moan escaped Rey’s lips, and Ben knew he had to get out of the bed. Now. Mainly because she would be mortified if she awoke in this... position. But also, Ben realized to his chagrin, she was starting to smell incredibly good. Too good. He groaned internally. Rey groaned out loud.

_Shit._

His cock twitched under her leg, and he knew he had to make a break for it. Gently lifting her arm up, he attempted to slide out from under it. Suddenly, her leg tightened around his, and Ben lost his balance. Eyes wide, his upper body slipped off the edge of the bed, his head hitting the ground while his leg was still wrapped in hers on the mattress. Looking at himself, he saw an upside-down disaster. He slowly pulled his legs out from under Rey’s, before rising up on his knees.

To his relief and surprise, she was undisturbed, now snoring happily and hugging his pillow instead of his chest.

Ben closed his eyes and said a silent thank you to the gods above, when Rey let out a little moan.

And then, “ _Ben_.”

He froze. This was a new development indeed.

Was she in fact still asleep? Ben looked closely, and it seemed she was.  

 _Good_. He sprinted for the bathroom, determined to not let this Omega shake his professionalism.

His cock didn’t seem to agree. She was pretty. She smelled good. She said his _name_. Frustrated and feeling betrayed by his body, he stood under the hot shower, taking himself in hand.

He willed himself to think of anything, anyone but Rey. Beautiful Rey. Sleeping in his bed. Moaning his name.

“Jesus Christ,” Ben snapped at himself, slamming a fist against the tile.

 “Ben?” Rey’s sleepy voice called from the bedroom a few seconds later. “Everything ok? I heard a noise.”

 _She slept through me falling off the bed, but wakes up from this. Great._ “Yeah, just dropped shampoo. Go back to bed.”

There was a long silence before Rey answered. “I’m up, actually. See you in the kitchen for breakfast when you’re done.”  

Ben listened as she padded away from the door before quickly turning the water to ice cold. He hissed as the stream hit him, attempting to keep his erection at bay. He told Rey she wouldn’t be a slave to her designation, and neither would he.

He stood there for several minutes, to the point his teeth started chattering, before realizing it wasn’t going to go away. Not completely, anyway.

“Fuck,” he cursed under his breath before shutting off the water and throwing back the curtain. This Omega was proving much more difficult to work with than he’d hoped.

When Ben emerged from the shower, to his surprise, Rey had started the kettle, had his French press ready to go, and was sipping on a smoothie (which lacked the greenery his recipe called for, but he decided to let it slide this time).

“Good morning, Benjamin,” she said in a sing-song voice, fiddling with something on the kitchen table.

“Morning, Rey,” he said, before he realized what she had before her.

He stopped dead in his tracks. “Really, Rey?” he asked, gesturing at the pieces of his watch strewn about his kitchen table.

She looked up innocently. “What? I was bored.”

“I was only in there for like 10 minutes!” He exclaimed, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

“Don’t worry, I’ll fix it,” she said, working in a methodically, pulling out more gears and springs.

Ben scowled, pushing down the French press and pouring a cup of coffee. “It wasn’t broken,” he muttered. “That better work exactly the same when you’re done with it.” 

Rey hummed as a response, and true to her word, she fixed it by the end of the day.

It was five minutes fast.

 

The next night went the same, with Ben waking up in the early morning from a horny Omega dry humping his leg. He sighed and, having learned from previous experience, made a smoother exit from the bed and a B-line for the bathroom. His cock, however, couldn’t be coaxed down this time, even under the coldest of showers. He felt frustrated. Hot. Uncomfortable in his own skin. He felt like a young Alpha, about to have his first rut.

Ben froze. No. No… he was not about to go into rut. He leaned on the counter and looked himself in the eye. “Mind over matter, Solo. You haven’t gone into a rut in years. You are a professional. You are a _doctor_ . Do not do this,” he pepped talked himself, before looking down at his stubborn, jutting member. “Do _not_ do this.”

“Who are you talking to?” came Rey’s confused voice from the other side of the door. If she had any inkling what was going on, her tone didn’t give it away.

“Myself. I’ll be out in a second,” he all but snapped. He was not going into rut. He was _not_.

When he emerged from the bathroom and entered the kitchen, Rey had his toaster in at least 10 pieces.  

“Rey!” He yelped, and she jumped a little in her seat, before looking up at him with agitation.

“ _Don’t_ yell at me. What?”

He gestured dramatically to the toaster pieces.

She rolled her eyes “I’ll fix it. Don’t worry.”

Ben went to make a move towards the countertop, but stopped himself. “You know what? No. This cannot go on. What are you going to take apart next? My record player?”

Rey’s eyes lit up. “Can I?”

Ben threw his hands up in the air, stormed back into the bedroom, and yanked on a pair of jeans, maybe a little too hard. His erection throbbed against his leg as he tried to tuck it in. He looked in the mirror. _Yeah, that’s not obvious at all._

He walked back through the living space, grabbed a pair of keys from a bowl by the front door, and pointed at Rey.

“I will be back. Do NOT take apart anything else.” Rey kept her eyes on her project and hummed in acknowledgment.

“Rey!” He snapped. She looked up at him, scowling.

“Yes. I heard you. I will not take apart anything else until you get back,” she said.

“No, not until I get back. Period. Stop taking things apart!” He exclaimed, but Rey had returned her attention to the toaster, working a tiny screwdriver against a metal plate in the interior of the toaster until a spring popped loose. Her face to lit up at the development.

“Got it, Solo. Go do whatever you have to do,” she said, not looking up from her work.  

Ben sighed in defeat and left the house in a huff, throwing a bit more force behind shutting the door than he meant to. Climbing in his Land Rover that was parked outside the cabin, he pulled the door shut and braced his hands on the steering wheel. “Get a grip Solo. Get a grip,” giving himself another pep talk before letting the SUV roar to life.

 

* * *

 

Several hours later, Ben pulled up to the cabin and grabbed half a dozen large bags from the trunk. Struggling with the door handle, he finally stumbled into the living room to find a surprised Rey, sitting at the kitchen table eating a sandwich. (If he noticed that the bread was only half toasted now, he said nothing).

“Fixed,” she pointed at the toaster triumphantly. Ben kicked the door closed behind him, threw the large bags on the floor of the living room, and collapsed into his chair.

Rey chewed a bite of her sandwich and eyed him curiously.

“What’s in the bags, Solo?” She asked inquisitively.

“That, Rey,” he said, trying to catch his breath, “Is my desperate attempt to keep you from taking this cabin apart one appliance at a time.”

Her features softened. “Like, a present?” she asked.

Ben was still breathing heavily, eyes closed. “Plural. Presents.” He corrected her.

There was no response from the kitchen table, so Ben cracked an eye open. Rey looked close to tears.

He was on his feet in an instant and went to her side, crouching down beside her. “Hey now, what’s wrong?” He asked, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Rey chewed on her bottom lip and attempted to blink back her emotion.

“I’ve never gotten a present before,” she said softly, and Ben froze. He remembered the words from her case file. 

Abandoned.

Orphan.

Foster care.

Ben let out a small breath, and ran a finger along her cheek. “Well, that changes today. Why don’t you go see what’s in the bags?” Rey looked at him with a small smile, before getting up from the table to rifle through the bags. Ben took the opportunity to remove the toaster from her reach and stash it on top of the refrigerator. It rattled now. _Why did it rattle?_ He signed and turned back to see her face light up.

“Legos?! You got me Legos?!” She pulled big boxes with pictures of castles and pirate ships gracing their facades. “I’ve always wanted to play with Legos!” She squealed with delight before digging into another bag.

“What are these?” She asked, pulling out a box with a figure of a helicopter on it.

Ben smiled at her unabashed joy. “Erector sets. You can build little machines and hook up batteries to make them move.”

Her eyes grew wide as she pulled out an even bigger box with a Ferris wheel on it. “Get. Out.” she exclaimed.

“I had a similar one when I was a kid, but honestly, my dad played with it more than me. I was more into…” Ben started.

“Books?” Rey interrupted with a grin, and Ben laughed.

“Yes, books. So, maybe we can work on these, and not my appliances for a while, ok?” Ben said with a chuckle, and Rey nodded enthusiastically.

The remaining bags contained puzzles with pieces in the thousands. “I’ve never worked on a puzzle before!” Rey said with glee, and Ben couldn’t believe what a deprived life the little Omega had lived. No toys. No games.

“This is like… this is like Christmas!” Rey exclaimed, and threw herself into Ben’s arms. Ben staggered back slightly, before leaning into the embrace.

“Thank you Ben. This is… this is amazing,” she raved to him, hugging him tightly around his neck.

Ben patted her on the back, trying to keep an air of professionalism. Plus, his erection had almost subsided at this point, and her small, warm body pressed against his was doing nothing to continue that trajectory.

“Alright,” he said, pulling back from her a bit. “Go build stuff.” Rey, eyes gleaming, ripped into the erector set. And soon, his living room was filled with screws, bolts, wires, and one very happy Omega.

Ben went to bed that evening with a smile on his face and only one pillow separating him and Rey. The agitation that plagued him earlier was gone, and in its place…happiness. He wasn’t going into rut… he was just frustrated with Rey taking apart his stuff. He had found a solution, and now he had a blissfully happy Omega. He hadn’t had a rut in years, and he wasn’t going to break that record now. Ben Solo had control over the situation.

How wrong he was.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a filthy liar. I wrote this right after I posted the last one. Is it as long as I promised? No. Did it make me cackle with laughter? Yes. 
> 
> If you're liking this, please thank @howsolocanyougo too! She gets full credit for the screwdriver drink idea, amongst other glorious revisions, which in turn made me shriek when I read about it. How did I not think of that!? 
> 
> And yes, I will reference that later. 
> 
> Also, comments are everything and you guys are making me grin ear-to-ear reading them! I try to respond to everyone... my apologies if I miss one!
> 
> Also... there’s a Spotify playlist now... but be warned... some songs might give you some spoiler-y vibes: https://open.spotify.com/user/1211255347/playlist/39noJpka3cE4BRo5iy0vOm?si=HI7jWcCoQCqGXmDYWx5Nsg


	6. Error 500

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friction. Ben needed more friction. He thrust his hips against something soft and round. Good. Oh god that felt good. His hands snaked out to grab what was in front of him. Delicate hip bones met his fingertips, and he wrapped his hands around them, yanking the body closer. 
> 
> Ben nuzzled into an intoxicating scent, lips working along a neck. Against a gland. He licked. He inhaled.   
> Omega.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys...I don't usually put notes in the beginning, but I want to say a few things. 
> 
> So, today was a hard day for a lot of people I think. If you've had a day like a lot of us have had, take a deep breath. Let it out. Relax. And enjoy this chapter. I hope you can think of it as a gift for all of us who are feeling a little kicked and down at the end of today. 
> 
> If you like this story, please take a moment to thank @howsolocanyougo. You guys wouldn't be getting updates so fast if it wasn't for her amazing editing skills, shared vision, and superior re-writing. 
> 
> We're both on Tumblr... I'm @no-one-at-the-beach and she's @howsolocanyougo. 
> 
> I love all of you. Enjoy this chapter!

Friction. Ben needed more friction. He thrust his hips against something soft and round.  _ Good. Oh god that felt good.  _ His hands snaked out to grab what was in front of him. Delicate hip bones met his fingertips, and he wrapped his hands around them, yanking the body closer. 

Ben nuzzled into an intoxicating scent, lips working along a neck. Against a gland. He licked. He inhaled. 

_ Omega.  _

The smell of misty mornings at the shore washed over him. He licked again. The taste of dulce de leche spilled onto his tongue.  

_ More. I need more. _

A decadent moan called to him in his haze. His dreams had never been this vivid before. And his was next-level. The dream smelled like Rey. Felt like Rey. 

Ben’s eyes flew open. 

He was wrapped around a sleeping Rey, gently grinding his cock against her backside.    
  


And Ben was in full rut. 

_ Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.  _

Ben sprang from the bed, running his hands frantically through his hair. He looked at his alarm clock, which read 3 a.m.  _ Christ, is that even the correct time?  _ Who knew, with Rey taking everything apart and…

A wave of lust hit him again. He grabbed the edge of the dresser to stand upright, his knuckles white. 

Rey. 

She was sleeping soundly. She didn’t know what had happened. He could correct this. He could grab an emergency suppressant, curb his rut, and be back at the cabin before… 

“Ben,” Rey questioned in her sleep, unconsciously moving in her sleep, seeking contact with a body that was no longer in the bed. 

He needed that suppressant  _ now _ . 

Ben flew to the living room and snagged his keys, hastily heading to the car. 

Fifteen minutes later, he was in the lodge’s basement, banging on Luke’s door. 

“Hold on, I’m coming, I’m coming,” came a gruff, groggy voice from inside. 

The door opened and a sleepy Luke laid eyes upon a frantic Ben, who pushed his way inside. 

“Please, make yourself at home, nephew,” Luke said dryly as he closed the door. 

“I need an emergency suppressant dosage.  _ Now _ .” Ben snapped. 

Luke held up his hands. “Ok, now, what is going on Ben? You don’t get to just barge in here and…” Luke suddenly got a whiff of Ben, taking in his scent and frantic look, before giving him a look of utter disbelief. “You came down here,  _ in full rut _ , into a lodge full of other Alphas!? What is wrong with you? You could trigger this whole place!” 

Ben shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts when all his brain could think about was the lovely little Omega in his bed. 

“I’m not full rut yet, I just need…” Ben started before Luke held up a hand to stop him. 

“You’re delusional Ben. This is beyond full-rut. You need to go ahead and lock yourself in one of the heat cells.”

The basement level of Reset housed, in addition to  living quarters for the facility’s doctors, specially-designed cells which allowed for Omegas in heat and Alphas in a rut to go through it safely and contained. The rooms self-filtered air, and doctors could only enter through an airlock, designed to contain scents and pheromones and prevent setting off other patients or staff. 

Ben gritted his teeth. “I. Am. Fine. I just need a stronger dose of suppressants and I can head back…”

Luke grabbed Ben by the shirt collar and pulled him out of his room and down the hallway to one of the heat cells, throwing the door to the airlock open, and pushing Ben in. 

Ben turned on him, fists clenched. “Luke, I am not staying here.”

Luke raised an eyebrow. “You want me to call your mother? Because you and I both know she’s letting you run this little experiment up at your cabin, against  _ my  _ wishes, at  _ my  _ facility. On a trial basis. And if she finds out about the stunt you pulled tonight, she’ll yank your whiney little Alpha ass out of that cabin and away from that Omega so fast it’ll make your head spin. Got it, kid? Stay in here. Get it out of your system. Rey will be there when you get done.”

And as Ben stewed in his anger, chest heaving, Luke slammed the airlock door shut, holding the handle in place until he heard the other side hiss open, and knew Ben had entered the room. He scribbled a note on the whiteboard outside about his new “patient”, and went inside to send his sister an email to brief her on the situation. 

Ben glanced around the room. Hospital bed. Porn collection on the bookshelf, along with several options in the lubrication department. He clenched and unclenched his fists in an attempt to get his temper under control. He didn’t want to be here. He wanted to be with Rey and…

Another wave of lust hit him and he cursed, falling to his knees. 

He thought of Rey again and his cock throbbed. Admitting defeat, he unzipped his pants. 

It was going to be a long couple of days. 

Rey woke up alone. 

That wasn’t too surprising to her, but when she padded barefoot into the living room. There was no Ben. No Ben in the kitchen. No Ben in the bathroom. 

Sliding on his house slippers, she went outside to the small porch. The cold hit her like a slap in the face, and she drew her arms in around her. 

Ben’s car was gone. 

Ok… so maybe he was running errands, no big deal. 

Dashing back inside, she prepped his French press and readied herself a cup of tea, thankful that he had snagged some during his gift run the other day. 

The morning passed by, and Rey settled herself in the living room, putting on a soft jazz record, and starting on a Lego set. 

Her stomach grumbled and she frowned, looking at the clock. It was 2 p.m.  _ Where is he? _

Shortly after six, Rey heard a knock on the door. 

She had bundled herself in Ben’s flannel and socks, and went skidding across the wood floors to throw the door open. 

Leia was standing there, arms full of grocery bags. 

“Hi Rey, take one of these for me, will you?” she asked as she entered, thrusting a bag into Rey’s unsuspecting arms. She followed the older woman to the kitchen, where she began to unpack the groceries. 

“So, I meant to be here much earlier today but I got held up at the hospital. Ben is under the weather, and he’s down at the lodge,” Leia said, matter-of-factly. “I wanted to tell you earlier, but I just couldn’t get away. And there’s no phone here now since Ben took his with him, so, I had to make a trip. I figured I’d bring some groceries and a few ready-made meals. They may not be “Ben Approved” but I figure, who doesn’t like mac and cheese? Hopefully this will get you through the next couple of days.”

Rey was confused. Ben was sick.  _ Since when? _ He had seemed fine the day before. “Is he... is he going to be ok? Is it serious or something?”

Leia waved off her concern. “Of course, he’s going to be fine! We’re just isolating him since you haven’t presented yet, to make sure you don’t catch the bug he has and get sick. We don’t want it jeopardizing your progress, you see,” the older woman continued, but Rey felt like she wasn’t telling her the whole story. 

“Oh, ok,” Rey said, worry and confusion knitting into her brow. 

Leia smiled at her and patted her cheek. “Don’t worry dear, he’s going to be just fine. You just need to hang tight up here for a few days. If he’s not better in a few nights, I’ll send someone to bring you down to the lodge for an evening. I know you’ve probably gotten used to the company, and I don’t want you to feel too isolated up here by yourself.” 

Rey nodded, and Leia began preheating the oven, sliding the mac and cheese and cooking instructions across the counter to Rey, before taking her leave. The woman was in and out before the news could even sink in.

Ben was sick? Any appetite Rey had dissipated. She was worried, and as hard as it was to admit to herself, she felt lonely. She liked having a companion. After years of being on her own, and being passed from place to place, it was so nice to have company. A constant. 

Rey turned the oven off and walked to the bedroom, climbing into Ben’s side of the bed. 

It wasn’t as strong, but the evergreen scent played at the edges of her senses. 

She missed him.    
  
  


Ben didn’t come back to the cabin the next day. 

Or the day after that. 

Rey finished every Lego and erector set in the house. The living room looked like a toy store. As his smell faded from the flannel she stole from his closet, she sought out more of his clothing, chasing that evergreen smell to comfort her growing anxiety.

On day four without Ben, she had started on a puzzle when there was a knock on the door. Her heart leapt. The loneliness had sunk into her bones, and she was desperate to interact with another person.

She opened it to find Finn standing on the other side. 

“Hey Peanut,” he said playfully, ruffling Rey’s greasy hair. She stared at him in confusion. 

“What are you doing here?” She asked. Finn peaked over her head at the toy display in the living room, whistling slowly at the spectacle.

“I’ve come to bail you out for the day. Ben is still, uh, under the weather, so Leia told me I should come pick you up. How about a late lunch with the old crew down at the lodge, and maybe a game of foosball or something? Cause, I don’t know what all that is…” he said, gesturing to the living room, “But girl, you got to get back to civilization for a few hours.”

Rey gave him a small smile. “Yeah, ok, that sounds fun. Do I, uh, have time to take a shower and change?” She asked, peering down at her ensemble, entirely raided from Ben’s wardrobe. Sweatpants. Flannels. Socks. All several sizes too big for her, but rolled up, tucked, and tied to make it work.

“Yeahhh,” Finn drawled, as he slipped into the cabin and sat down on a small stool, “Take a shower. You smell like Ben, and are apparently also trying to look like him.” He laughed, and Rey rolled her eyes before she scampered off to clean up.    
  


 

She was surprised to feel relief wash over her as the lodge came into view. She needed the distraction -- badly. The day with Finn was just like the ones they’d shared before she was sent to Ben’s cabin. With Rose and Poe, they watched a movie in Finn’s room, giggling and eating junk food. And it DID do the trick in taking her mind off things for a while, but post-dinner, Rey’s thoughts returned to Ben. She was ready to head back to the cabin. She bid goodbye to Rose and Poe, and headed out to the lobby area with Finn. 

“I needed this today Finn. Thanks,” she said with sincerity, and paused to give him a hug. Finn wrapped his arms around her, and brought his head towards her neck, not thinking anything of the close contact. Catching the smell of her scent gland, he jerked his head back. 

“Rey, don’t take this the wrong way, but you smell good,” he said, a nervous tinge in his voice. 

Rey smiled at him. “I bet you say that to all the girls,” she joked, soaking in the contact for a second longer. She didn’t realize how used to physical affection she had gotten. She felt Finn stiffen in her arms. 

“What is it?” She asked, looking up at Finn’s face. But his eyes were looking just past her, wide with alarm. She turned and her heart leapt. There, by the front door, stood Ben Solo. But something was wrong. He looked utterly wrecked. His eyes were bloodshot, and sweaty, grease-streaked hair fell across his face. Dark circles under his eyes indicated a complete lack of sleep, and his fists were gripped in rage as he stood deadly still and stared them down. 

Finn stepped back from Rey quickly, putting his hand up in surrender as Ben came barreling across the lobby, pulling Rey behind him as she looked on in confusion. 

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!” He snarled at Finn, pushing into his chest. Finn continued to back up, arms still raised. 

“Hey man, nothing! Leia just told me I should bring Rey down for…”

“Rey is  _ mine _ ,” Ben growled, and Rey’s stomach flipped. “And you  _ don’t  _ touch her.” He emphasized the word with another push to Finn’s chest, and Finn’s face shifted from innocent to irritated. 

“Hey, don’t push me Solo,” he countered, giving Ben a shove back. He barely moved, cowering over Finn as Rey looked on speechlessly.

Luke happened to emerge from his office right in that moment, as the two men escalated their pushing, voices rising.

“You stay the fuck away from her,” Ben spat at Finn, pushing him again, and Finn moved towards him. Luke came between the two men just as Finn wound his arm up to take a swing, and pushed them apart. 

“Dameron!” Luke yelled and Poe was in the lobby in an instant, pulling Finn back. 

“Rey, get Solo under control!” Luke barked, and Rey unfroze, grabbing Ben’s wrist, trying to distract him from the conflict. 

“Ben, Ben!” She tugged hard on his arm as he seemed to get larger, puffing out his chest and spouting obscenities in Finn’s direction. 

“Ben!” she yelled, placing a hand roughly on his cheek and turning his head sharply to look at her. “Hey,” she said sternly. Ben’s faced instantly changed, as he caught her scent wafting up from her wrist. He turned his body to her, nuzzling into her wrist and hand, melting into her touch and immediately calm. 

“Rey,” he said softly, breathing deeply. Ben’s shoulders slumped, suddenly defeated. Poe carted off a riled-up Finn, and Luke turned to her. 

“Take him back to the cabin, Rey. He just finished going through a rut. He needs a shower and lots of sleep,” he instructed.

“Will it be...safe?” She asked, still processing that the “sickness” Ben had was actually a rut. 

“The worst is over now. He won’t hurt you.” Luke assured, and she nodded, and she believed him. This tall, handsome man was still nuzzling at her wrist, breathing her in, and seemingly in his own world. It was like a superpower she didn’t even know she possessed.

“Ben, let’s go home, ok?” She asked, and he nodded against her hand. She dropped it from his face, and clasped hands with him instead, gently pulling him from the lobby and out the front door. He seemed in a daze, walking slowly, clearly physically drained, eyes open but not focusing. 

It was freezing outside, and the air smelled crisp, like it was going to snow. Rey spotted Ben’s Landover, before guiding him to it. She unlocked the passenger door but before she could open it, Ben suddenly pushed her against the side of the car. It was cold against her back, but Ben’s body was impossibly warm. His hands were in her hair, and his thumbs brushed the sides of her cheeks. He buried his head into her neck, nuzzling deeply and inhaling, and letting out a wistfully happy sigh. He smelled like sex and sweat. And Ben.  

Rey stood frozen.  _ This is new.  _

“Ben?” she asked softly, his body flush against hers. He responded by nuzzling even further into her. “Ben?” Rey asked again a little more loudly, and he pulled back, studying her face. 

_ Oh god, is Ben Solo going to kiss me? Right here… in the parking lot. Up against a car.  _

“Let’s go home, ok?” She asked, searching his eyes. They roamed over her face, before landing on her lips. His lips parted slightly, and his breathing slowed. The night was still, and they were inches apart. Suddenly, Ben released her, backing away, and his shoulders sagged yet again. 

“Yes, ok,” he agreed, snapped out of whatever trance had gripped him. Rey peeled herself from the car, and helped Ben into the passenger seat. He was practically a zombie. She buckled him in and scurried around to the driver side, sliding the seat up at least a foot to reach the pedals. 

Coaxing some direction from Ben, she figured out how to get back to the small cabin and let them inside. Ben followed her like a puppy. She helped him out of his dirty clothes, down to his briefs, and turned the shower on hot before guiding him inside. 

“Are you ok from here?” she asked, and Ben nodded, exhaustion written all over his face. She closed the bathroom door behind her, and moved about the small bedroom, pulling out pajamas and laying them out on the bed, before heading into the kitchen turn the kettle on for tea. He may not want a cup, but she needed one. 

Rut. He had gone into rut. She had no idea that someone could look so utterly destroyed after having a heat or rut, and to see Ben look so resigned made her nervous. And what was with the sudden burst of territoriality? Was that part of the rut?  _ ‘Rey is mine’ _ . She felt her cheeks get hot at the memory. 

Rey sat at the kitchen table, lost in thought and sipping tea when Ben emerged from the bathroom. He looked sheepish, but a bit more himself. Still weary, with bloodshot eyes, and completely devoid of energy.  

“Hey,” he said softly.

“Hey you.” Rey said with a smile. “Feeling better?”

Ben nodded, fiddling with the edge of the t-shirt he was wearing. 

“Do you want a cuppa?” She asked, gesturing to the kettle on the counter. 

Ben shook his head. “I uh, I think I am just going to go to sleep. I haven’t, uh…” he searched for the right words, before settling simply on “I’m tired.”

Rey nodded at him, “I think I’ll turn in too.” Ben padded back to the bedroom, and by the time Rey had brushed her teeth and settled into the mattress beside him, he seemed more at ease. It was nice to have him back in the bed with her. 

“Ben?” she asked, softly. 

There was a long pause before he answered. “Yes, Rey?”

“I missed you.” 

He didn’t respond. They both lay in silence, the sounds of their breathing echoing in the dark. 

Rey sighed, before rolling on her side away from Ben. She wanted to comfort him. She wanted to be comforted. Three nights alone in the big bed by herself…

The mattress shifted, and Ben rolled onto his side too. Hepulled her back flush to him, spooning her. Rey let out a shaking breath, and relaxing into his arms. He buried his head into the crook of her neck, before letting out his own shaky breath. 

“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered, as they lay in the darkness together. “I feel it too.” 

  
  



	7. Installation Complete

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I usually post a little snippet here, but I'm not this time. 
> 
> Chapter Summary? Ben spills his guts, and notices something new about Rey.

Rey woke up in the morning with a jolt. The bed was empty again, and she shot upright. Then the sound of Ben talking to himself in the kitchen and the rattle of pots and pans set her back at ease. She collapsed back into the pillows with a grin and a lazy smile.  _ He felt it too. _ The electric pull between them. The line was being crossed… and Rey didn’t think she had a problem with it. Ben was a person that  _ actually  _ seemed to care about her, not for any reason other than the fact she was herself. 

_ And you’re an Omega.  _ A little voice sounded in the back of her head. But Rey knew that it had to be more than just that. She couldn’t see herself having these sort of feelings about say, Finn. And then there was Ben’s intense reaction to Finn yesterday. It should have upset her, but it didn’t. She  _ liked  _ his possessiveness. She wanted to be possessed and claimed. By an Alpha.  _ Her Alpha _ .  

Rey shivered at the thought. Was he? Or was last night just… residual rut. 

Rey pulled herself from the warmth of the bed, and after a quick trip to the bathroom, stole yet another of Ben’s shirts and pairs of socks, and headed out into the small kitchen.

Ben sat at the table, glasses on and hair pulled half back, engrossed in a book. Breakfast smells wafted from the stove. 

“Morning,” Rey said, shuffling into the small space. 

Ben straightened, and put down the book. “Good Morning, Rey. Can I get you some breakfast?” He seemed to be back to old Ben. Proper. On the other side of the line again. Rey frowned. 

“Um, yeah. That would be great,” she said as she slid into a chair at the table, and he laid a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her. She raised her eyebrows. 

“Bacon?” She asked, and a small smile played across Ben’s lips. 

“Well, it’s not in my meal plan, but it seems Dr. Organa dropped off all sorts of comfort foods when I was away, and it’ll go bad if we don’t eat it, so enjoy.”

Rey hummed appreciatively, and dug in. Ben went brought her a cup of tea and sat across from her, watching her shovel food in her mouth like a person starved.  _ Did she not eat while I was gone?  _ After a few sips of coffee, Ben cleared his throat. 

“Rey, I um… I need to apologize for yesterday.” 

Rey froze mid-chew and looked up at him with distrust in her eyes.  _ Is this the part where he takes it all back? _

“For which part?” She asked, mouth full. 

Ben opened his mouth and to explain, but shut it, struggling to find the words. 

Rey sat back in her chair, pointedly eating a piece of bacon and waiting for a response. 

“Rey, I… I didn’t think I would go into a rut, for one. My behavior towards Finn yesterday, and my… possessiveness... I apologize if that made you uncomfortable.” Ben’s eyes were focused on his coffee cup, his face a storm of emotions. Shame. Frustration. Confusion. 

Rey’s face softened. “It didn’t make me uncomfortable. Concerned, maybe. Are you feeling more yourself today?” She asked, and Ben nodded. The two lapsed back into silence for a minute before Rey asked, “Why didn’t you tell me that you were going into a rut? Why did you just… leave?” Ben winced. He wasn’t proud of leaving Rey alone. “And why did Dr. Organa come up here and tell me you were ill when you weren’t, exactly?”

Ben swallowed, chewing on the inside of his cheek, searching for the right thing to say. “Dr. Organa, Leia, is my mother. I guess she didn’t want to have a conversation about her son going into a rut.”

“Your mom?” Rey asked, brows knitting in confusion. 

Ben nodded. “Luke is her brother. My uncle.”

Rey let out a little half laugh. “Oh my god, is this some family affair?” she asked, gesturing to the small cabin around them. Ben let out a frustrated side. 

“This is not how I wanted to tell you this, but after these last few days… you deserve to know the whole story. My grandfather founded this place, and when he passed, my uncle took it over. My mother is a silent partner, but as a doctor specializing in Omegas, she often refers patients here. So, she’s around from time to time.” He paused, taking a sip from his coffee. “So, when I got older, presented, and was interested in the work, it made sense for me to help out around the lodge. In college, I spent a very unsuccessful summer as a Companion. It didn’t go over well. I was… intense. Omegas didn’t warm to me.”

“You? Intense?” Rey said sarcastically, her tone irritated. Ben ran a hand over his face. 

“These books I read?” Ben picked one off the table and showed it to her, “These are my grandfather’s medical books. I started reading them that summer. I wasn’t cut out to be a Companion in the way Luke envisioned, but my grandfather’s research inspired me. I went to medical school to continue his work. His unorthodox methods  _ worked _ . He documented them in the notes and margins. Luke is so… traditional. He thought my grandfather lost his way. But Luke doesn’t examine the primal undercurrent that is an undeniable part of us. He’s stuck using old methods. He needs to broaden his mind. Since I started here as a doctor after getting my degree, I have been the only one here trying to challenge the status quo. To find new methods. ” Ben caught himself rambling, and looked back to Rey. She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, studying him. 

“My mother... she listened to my ideas, and said if I could come up with a thorough, thought-out plan, she’d let me try my way here at Reset.”

“And I’m the test dummy?” Rey asked, and Ben quickly shook his head. 

“No Rey, no. Not at all. I… I wasn’t ready to start this at all yet. Then I ran into you on the trail, and you fell into my arms. Literally.” He gave a small, bitter laugh. “Finn explained what was going on, and I called my mother. She sent me the files to study, and I had a feeling that I could get you to present.”

“How? How did you know?” Rey asked, and Ben looked up into her eyes. 

“I didn’t. I thought I had an idea… a good feeling about it. That maybe I could be… uniquely suited for what your body needs to present. But I didn’t know, not for sure.” He said, but didn’t pause to let her unpack that statement. “I saw the signs of my rut coming, but I ignored them. I naïvely thought I was stronger than those urges. But when I woke up that morning , I felt… compromised. I thought I could stop it with an emergency suppressant, so I went to the lodge, to Luke. He realized what was happening and isolated me so I didn’t set off anyone else’s rut. As you saw yesterday, when the pheromones are flowing, I’m not myself. I think I almost triggered Finn, and that was after several days.. And most importantly,” he paused and looked up at her, “I didn’t want to go into rut and scare or hurt you. I wasn’t... wasn’t sure if I could control myself. I am… I’m not sure if I could have.” 

He took a deep breath. “And now I feel like a hypocrite because I told you you wouldn’t be a slave to your designation. There I was, too incapacitated to be around you for days, because of my rut.” 

The two sat at the table in silence for a few more minutes, and Ben sighed. “This isn’t how I wanted to tell you all of this. I know you probably have questions.”

Rey’s head was spinning with all of this new information. Dr. Organa had all but made her a test subject for unproven methods without her consent, and the consequences if it couldn’t work were dire. She’d seen what an Alpha in the waning hours of a rut looked like, and it had intrigued an increasingly loud part of her brain. She should have been more frustrated with him, but most of all, she wanted to ask him about what he had said the night before. But she needed to clear her head.

She stood up from her chair. “I do, but I’ve been cooped up in this house for a few days. Can we talk and walk? I need fresh air.” 

Ben’s eyebrows rose. She wasn’t running away, which relieved him. “Yes, of course!” 

After bundling up, the two set out of the small cabin in relative quiet. Snow was lightly falling, and other than the crunch of their boots on the path, the forest was silent around them.

“What made you go into rut?” Rey asked after a long period of silence, as she followed Ben up the trail. 

Ben slowed slightly. “Well, two things can cause a breakthrough rut. Weak or expired suppressants paired with exceptionally strong Omega pheromones or…” Ben paused, and let out a little laugh of disbelief, as if he couldn’t even believe the second cause was an option. “Or, according to every book, on the rare occasion, an Alpha finding someone who could be an exceptionally well-suited mate.” 

Rey stopped in the middle of the trail. “Which one do you think it was?”

Ben stopped too, but didn’t turn. “I am on  _ very _ strong suppressants, Rey. I haven’t had a rut in years. I believe that fact, coupled with your Omega traits that have rapidly presented, triggered my rut.” He paused, before turning to Rey. “You are… they are overwhelming.” His face was almost pained as his eyes roamed her neck. 

“How do you know I’m starting to present?” Rey asked softly, not moving. 

Ben approached her slowly. “Your scent. It’s intoxicating. It has these layers, these subtle differences now, that only come out when…” 

He paused and looked down at her neck. A look of surprise washed over his face. “Well well, that’s new,” he said, gesturing to her neck. Rey’s brow furrowed in confusion. 

Her hand shot to her neck, feeling for what had suddenly become his central focal point.

“Show your neck to me, Rey. Tilt your head,” he coaxed firmly, and Rey’s head slowly tilted to the side, her hand dropping. 

His eyes roamed over her neck. “This must have happened while I was away,” he whispered, eyes flicking up to catch hers. “Can I touch you, Rey? Please…” The last word was tinged with desperation and need.

Rey nodded, ever so slightly, and Ben reached his large hand up behind her, placing the palm against the nape of her neck. His thumb rolled over the distinctive gland now at the surface. “Can you feel that, Rey?” His voice was low, raspy. Rey gasped as he pressed into the tender flesh. She could feel it, deep her belly. It triggered a flush, spreading down to her fingertips and making her toes curl.

“It feels good, doesn’t it?” He asked her, and the soft “yes” that fell immediately from her lips made him smile. It pleased him.  She could tell, too, in his smile, and the way he let out a low growl in the back of his throat at her response.

“Good. Good girl. When I asked you to show me your neck just then, did you want to?” Ben asked, pulling her even closer, and Rey nodded.

“That’s another sign you’re presenting. You want to please your Alpha”

Rey’s pulse quickened as Ben leaned in and brought his nose down along her neck, inhaling deeply until he reached her scent gland. 

“And you smell… Rey you smell so intoxicating. Your body is so alive. Can’t you feel it?” He asked against her skin, and Rey’s heart pounded in her chest. The two stood in the eerily quiet forest, tension pulled tight in the air. 

“And you taste,” Ben started, before licking back up Rey’s neck to the spot underneath her ear, “You taste like a sin I want to drown myself in.” 

Rey let out a whimper, and Ben backed her quickly against the nearest tree, pressing himself against her, and mouthed against her neck. Rey’s hands came up and ran through his hair, pulling him back gently to look him in the eyes. 

They were wild. Feral. 

Ben let out a shaky breath, his frustration with himself boiling to the surface. He took a step back from Rey, who whimpered at the loss of touch. 

“I can’t be like this with you Rey. I’m, a doctor, your doctor. I woke up this morning, and I had every intention of redrawing that line I crossed yesterday.”

Ben took another step back, before turning and pacing a few steps, then stopped and looked at her again. The ferocity behind his eyes was gone, and she could only see regret.  

“I don’t think I can redraw that line, Rey,” Ben said, eyes boring into hers. “I know I should but I…”

“Ben,” Rey said, finding her voice again for the first time in minutes. “Something inside me has always been there. But now it's awake.  _ You’ve _ awoken it. And I’m afraid. When my heat comes, I don’t want to be alone.” 

The air around them stilled. Rey’s eyes were pleading, searching Ben’s, while his eyes reflected his desperation to hold on to what was right in his mind, and what he wanted. Craved. 

“Please… please don’t make me go through it alone.” Rey begged him, and Ben closed his eyes. 

“You’re not alone,” Ben answered.  

“Please… Ben,” Rey’s voice cracked, and Ben shut his eyes tighter, cursing to himself. 

Rey felt a tear slide down her cheek. “Please, Alpha,” her plea barely above a whisper. 

Ben’s eyes snapped open and in a few strides she was in his arms.  “Ok, Rey,” his voice was filled with resignation. “Whatever you need, I promise. I’ll take care of you,” he held her to him as he cursed himself again. 

This wasn't professional. This wasn't appropriate. But  he couldn’t fight it anymore. When her heat came, he would take care of her. 

He wouldn’t leave her alone again. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to @howsolocanyougo for reworking this idea with me, and giving me a much better foothold on everything. 
> 
> Your comments have made my year, and I adore each and every one of you. 
> 
> Even just "Give us more" makes me smile!
> 
> Next chapter: Thanksgiving the Skywalker way. 
> 
> Take from that what you will.... 
> 
> Keep an eye out on my Tumblr.... I am going to make a moldboard of sorts in the next few days. (@no-one-at-the-beach on the Tumblr) Come say hi!


	8. Adding Network

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke pointed a finger at him. “This is not going to go the way you think,” he emphasized his point again, but Ben couldn’t be swayed. He knew this connection was something more. And he was going to prove it.

_ Whatever you need, I promise. I’ll take care of you _ . Ever since uttering those words, Ben couldn’t help but touch Rey every chance he got. Taking her hand as they hiked down from the mountain, touching the small of her back when he passed her in the kitchen, pushing her hair back behind her ear as they lay in bed. 

Which is where they were now, facing each other, feet entwined under the blanket, the closest they’ve ever been. Ben smiled softly, thinking of the pillow wall that had one divided the bed. 

Rey saw the small grin, and couldn’t help but ask. “What are you smiling at now?”

“Nothing,” he said wistfully, softly stroking her neck gland. Rey hummed and closed her eyes, leaning into the calm his fingers were bringing her. They both let a comfortable silence envelop them.

After they’d arrived back at the cabin, Ben decided that the daily massages weren’t necessary anymore, much to Rey’s disappointment. He’d made up an excuse about how, since she was beginning to present in earnest, the massages had served their purpose and wouldn’t be effective any further. In reality, Ben was really struggling with his self-control around her as it was. Putting a half-naked Rey under his hands might not be the best move as they figured out whatever this was.

“I have to go down to the Lodge tomorrow. Luke wants to give me a post-rut physical. Will you come with me?” Ben asked, breaking the silence. Rey nodded against his hand, snuggling deeper into the covers. “I thought you could visit with Rose…”

“Yeah, that’d be nice,” She burrowed deeper into his chest, inhaling deeply.

“...and see if she has a dress you could borrow,” Ben finished.  

Rey’s brow furrowed in confusion. “A dress?” 

Ben’s hand had settled on her back, and he tenderly stroked his fingers as he spoke to her. “It’s um, Thanksgiving day after tomorrow. I know you’re not American, so probably don’t celebrate, but my family does. It’s sort of an unspoken requirement that I be there. And I… I want to bring you with me, if you’d want to come.”

Rey was shocked. She’d never been invited to anything like that before. “Oh,” she said, the surprise obvious in her voice. 

Ben pulled back to look down at her. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. I just… is whatever  _ this _ is… how is it going to look to your mom? To Luke? You know…” 

Ben pulled her back to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her as if she was the teddy bear from his childhood. “I understand it might feel weird, but I’d hate to leave you alone again. Plus, it won’t just be my family -- some staff from the lodge will be there too. Dameron, unfortunately, among them.” Rey’s brows were still knitting in concern.

“Look, I know there’s going to be pushback eventually, but it doesn’t matter to me. And no one is going to make a big deal about this at Thanksgiving anyway. They’ll probably be secretly pleased in their weird familial way.”

Rey was silent, mulling it over. She certainly didn’t want to crash a family function. But Ben clearly wanted her there, and she’d never felt wanted before. Plus… the allure of an authentic Thanksgiving was too great to turn down. Sure, some of the foster homes she’d been at had cooked a turkey, but she’d never had one of those perfect TV family Thanksgivings, like she saw on those silly 90s sitcoms. Maybe it would be like that. Cosy fireplaces. The smell of turkey wafting in the air. Maybe there would be pie… she’d never had pumpkin pie before. 

“Will there be pie?” Rey asked, and Ben smiled at her. 

“Of course,” he said with a chuckle.

“Ok, then. I’ll go with you.” Rey said, smiling. She felt Ben relax around her. 

“Good, because I already told Rose to find you something pretty out of her closet.”

Rey smacked him playfully. 

 

The next day proceeded as normal, and in the afternoon the pair made their way down to the lodge. Rey went off with Rose, and Ben resigned himself to Luke’s basement office, knocking on the door before letting him in. 

Luke seemed to have a permanent frown as he read over papers on his desk. 

“Take a seat, Benjamin,” he gestured to the small exam table as his nephew entered. Ben winced as he settled on the table, and it creaked under his weight. He was a big guy, and this table was practically an antique. 

“How are we feeling?” Luke asked, not looking up from his reading material. 

“Fine,” Ben replied, already incredibly uncomfortable. 

“So, you didn’t go home and plunder that poor girl who’s staying with you?” Luke asked as casually as if he’d asked ‘What’s for lunch?’. Ben choked in response and Luke smirked. 

“So I take that as a yes?” He asked, and Ben’s features fell into a scowl. 

“Not that it would be  _ any  _ of your business if I did, but no, I did not.”

Luke looked up at Ben, unenthused. “Isn’t it though? This is  _ my _ facility, and  _ you’re _ the one that’s dancing across the line of medical ethics here.” 

Ben threw up his hands. “Save the ethics talk, Luke. First off, I haven’t crossed a line at all.”  _ Liar _ said a little voice in his head. “And secondly, Rey is different. She’s not… she’s not the usual case.”

“Oh yeah kid, compared with all the  _ other _ cases you’ve worked with,” Luke said, words dripping with sarcasm. 

Ben rolled his eyes. “Is this why I’m down here? To get a lecture from you?”

“Would you rather me do it tomorrow around the table with your dad present?” Luke asked, raising his eyebrows. 

Ben gritted his teeth. “Since I’m bringing Rey, I would prefer that not happen.” He spoke through his clenched jaw.

Luke’s eyebrows shot up higher, before he burst into laughter. “You’re bringing your  _ patient _ to our family Thanksgiving. Oh, Ben…” 

Ben launched off the table, which protested loudly at the force of his push, and pointed a finger at his uncle. 

“I am  _ not _ going to screw this up. I am not my grandfather,” he snarked at Luke, who let out another dry laugh. 

“Well, you’re acting a hell of a lot like him right now,” he said with a disappointed shake of his head. 

Ben’s chest was heaving and he glared at his uncle, before a light behind Luke’s eyes lit up. 

“Ben, do you… do you think she’s your mate?” Luke asked, disbelief in his voice. 

Ben took a deep breath, and let it out, slowly unclenching his fists. “I… I don’t know. I’ve been reading a lot of grandfather’s research and…”

Luke leaned forward onto his elbows. “It’s  _ incredibly _ rare to find a mate that is biologically matched to you. You know that, right? I know your grandfather had these theories about your grandmother, but you realize... when he was living with all those Omegas, he was searching for the right one. Yes, he helped them present too. He was a very strong Alpha, just like you. But sometimes, if you want something bad enough, your brain can trick you into thinking you have it” 

“Are you saying that Padme wasn’t grandfather’s true mate?” He asked, slumping into a small chair in front of Luke, his tone incredulous.

“Now, I didn’t say that-” 

“But you implied it. You think true mates are bullshit,” Ben answered, dryly. 

Luke sighed. “I think that the idea behind it is nice, and maybe they existed once. But I believe we have evolved past that, yes.” 

“Test us,” Ben responded. “Test the pheromones. We haven’t mated, hell Luke, I haven’t even kissed her, as much as I want to.”

Luke sighed into his hands, mumbling “Don’t tell me that.”. 

“Test us,” Ben urged again. “If we’re true mates, the mating chemical should already be present in our blood, right? And have a similar structure?” 

Luke looked like he didn’t want to answer, and it took a few seconds for him to come up with a response. “Ben, just because that chemical is there, doesn’t mean you’re true mates.”

Ben shook his head, “No, but it certainly  _ would  _ help our case.” 

Luke pressed his lips together, before finally letting out a little nod. “Alright. I already have blood samples from both of you. It’s going to take a few weeks to break down those chemicals for analysis anyway.”

Ben looked smug, like he knew what Luke was going to find. 

Luke pointed a finger at him. “This is not going to go the way you think,” he emphasized his point again, but Ben couldn’t be swayed. He knew this connection was something more. And he was going to prove it.   

Rey found a very pretty knee-length green floral dress and lovely little yellow cardigan to borrow from Rose’s closet. Rose had been so helpful, but she did make a point to ask Rey to launder the clothes before bringing them back. 

“You just… you smell really good Rey. I’m not usually into female Omegas, but man, I can see why Ben is so protective of you,” Rose laughed, but Rey flushed in embarrassment, noticing she was breathing through her mouth a lot more than her nose. 

She suddenly felt bad about visiting and stinking up Rose’s room, but she was still excited about the dress. It was just  _ so _ pretty. She’d never worn anything so lovely, and she found herself hoping Ben would like it. 

  
  


Thanksgiving morning, Rey scampered to the shower after scarfing down breakfast, excited to get ready and all dolled up for the day. Ben just giggled at her excitement, though clearly less eager to prepare for the family meal. 

Armed with some makeup Rose had loaned her, Rey emerged from the bathroom looking quite pretty, if she did say so herself. Ben was sitting in the living room, reading and still dressed in sweats and a flannel, the bag containing his suit draped over the back of the couch. 

Rey cleared her throat as she stepped in the room, Ben looked up from his book. Rey did a little twirl, grin plastered across her face. 

“Well?” She asked, and Ben swallowed, standing up from his chair, eyes roaming over her. He closed the distance between them and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, cupping her face. 

“Beautiful,” he whispered, and Rey knew he was going to kiss her. Right there. Ben’s other hand came around to her back and pulled her in closer. 

“Rey,” he whispered as he bent his head down to capture her lips. 

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. 

“Fuck,” Ben cursed, resting his forehead against hers. “We will revisit this,” he said in a soft, firm tone, before kissing her on the forehead and striding to the door. 

A much too chipper Poe was on the other side of the door, casually tossing a football up in the air. “Ready to get your ass kicked, Solo?” He grinned, before faking a throw to Ben. Ben flinched, ready to catch the fake out, which made Poe burst into laughter. “Oh this is going to be great!” Rey snickered from where she stood, watching this all unfold. Poe stood on his tiptoes to look over Ben’s shoulder. 

“Hey Rey! You look real pretty. Ready to go?” Rey nodded, biting back laughter, as Ben snagged his garment bag from the back of the chair and a small bag of toiletries from behind it. He followed Rey and Poe towards a pick-up truck, holding the front passenger side door open for Rey, and giving her a little boost to get into the large truck. He pinched her side, winking, before shutting the door, and Rey giggled. Poe rolled his eyes, but then bit back a laugh as Ben attempted to fold himself into the significantly smaller back seat. 

“You alright there, buddy?” Poe asked, as the truck roared to life. 

“Yeah, just peachy. Drive, Dameron,” he commanded, and Poe knocked the truck into gear.

“Get ready for a Skywalker Thanksgiving, where there’s never a dull moment!” Poe declared with all the excitement of a small child. 

“Or a sane person,” Rey heard Ben mutter, and she slipped her right hand back behind the seat. She felt his fingertips link with hers, and she gave them a squeeze. It was going to be a fun day, and she would make sure Ben enjoyed himself. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you guys the writing would slow down now. I'm trying to keep it flowing, but real life commitments are starting to clog up my schedule. So here's a little taste of Thanksgiving...MORE is on the way! 
> 
> Huge thanks to @howsolocanyougo who edited this while sick, like a MF-ign rockstar, and continues to keep me from making Ben from sounding like a desperate teen boy. This story would be far from good without her help!
> 
> I've made a little fan art over on my Tumblr, so come check it out: @no-one-at-the-beach. 
> 
> I am also thinking about posting little sneak peeks over there... would anyone be interested?


	9. Content overload

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh, so when I’m not here you punch more than one person?” Rey jabbed at him playfully, and Ben cracked a smile. 
> 
> “Only for you, darling,” he grinned, and bumped his shoulder back against hers.

The drive out to what Poe referred to as “Skywalker Ranch” took about twenty minutes, and Rey quickly learned he had a lead foot. Ben spent the entire ride sitting back with his eyes closed as the big pick-up truck climbed up mountain sides with tight turns, and praying that the tires gripped the increasingly snow-covered road,  with patchy spots dotting the way. 

After a particularly tight turn, Rey heard an unpleasant thud followed by a soft “Fuck.” from the back of the cab. Poe glanced in the rearview mirror. 

“You ok, buddy?” he asked, shit eating grin on his face. Ben scowled at him, rubbing his head.

“I would be better if I arrived without being concussed, Dameron. Why did I agree to ride with you anyway?” Ben grumbled. 

Dameron laughed, shifting the truck into a lower gear as they crested a hill. 

“Because Solo, we used to be friends, and it’s tradition,” he answered with a wink to him in the back seat, and Ben looked away. 

Rey turned to Poe, agape. “You guys were friends?” 

Poe laughed. “Oh yes, Dr. Solo and I grew up together. Right, Benny Boy?”

“Unfortunately,” Ben responded unenthusiastically. Rey looked back at Ben, eyebrows raised, and Poe laughed again. 

“He’s actually quite fun Rey, when he doesn’t lock himself up in a cabin like some sort of princess in a tower,” Poe teased, and Rey smirked a little. 

“ _ I _ find him fun,” she replied, eyes still on Ben. He gave her a small smile, before Poe let out another laugh. 

“I bet you do,” he said, and before Ben could protest the double meaning of that statement, Poe threw on his blinker and practically skidded into the driveway. “We’re here!” he announced, and Rey winked at Ben before turning back around in her seat, and taking in the sight before her. 

This place wasn’t a ranch, it was a compound. A huge mansion in the style of a log cabin spread out above them as Poe drove his truck up the steep driveway. Rows of wooden planked garage doors stretched out along the driveway, with the house reaching up towards the heavens with what appeared to be at least three stories. Large glass windows reflected the surrounding snowy mountains, and a wrought-iron wrap-around porch edged the whole house. 

“Holy shit,” whispered Rey.

“Oh, it’s smaller than it looks,” he laughed, throwing the car into park. 

“I doubt that,” Rey mumbled, wide eyed as Ben attempted to climb gracefully out of the truck, before holding the door open for Rey. Offering her a hand, she jumped from the truck, linking fingers with Ben as he closed the door. 

“You good?” Ben asked, giving her hand a little squeeze. 

“Yup!” Rey said with a smile, masking the fact that she was a little nervous, but even more intimidated by the size of the house she was about to enter. Ben could smell her creeping anxiety, so he unclasped their hands and placed his between her shoulder blades, stroking over the spot there. Rey’s eyes closed, and she let out a breath. 

Suddenly, there was a chorus of barking as a pack of dogs exploded from the house. Rey’s eyes shot open.

“Jesus Christ,” Ben mumbled as a small white and brown dog came bounding toward them, leaping into a Poe’s arms as he crouched down. 

“Little buddy, I missed you. I missed you, yes I did!” He cooed at the dog, who was wagging his tail manically, and squirming in Poe’s arms, licking him all over his face.

“Gross, Dameron,” Ben said with disgust, and Poe just laughed, turning to Rey. 

“This is BB… my true love,” Poe held out the dog towards Rey, who smiled and gave the dog a scratch under his chin. 

The other two dogs had joined the group now, a sleek, brown greyhound, and a sassy looking French bulldog. The greyhound darted around nervously, but the little bulldog came and sat right at Rey’s feet, letting out a bark. 

“Well, hello there. Who are you?” Rey squatted down and gave the dog an affectionate head rub. 

“Oh you’ve met the babies,” called Leia from the top of the steps. “Come on in you guys, it’s freezing out here! C3, R2… let’s go!” The dogs obediently bounded back up the stairs and Rey gave Ben a look out of the corner of her eye.   

Ben shook his head, shrugging. “I know. Mom gave them weird names. I have no explanation for that at all.” The trio followed the pack of dogs up the stairs and into the house, which was even more stunning from the inside. 

Exposed natural beams and vaulted ceilings greeted Rey, and it seemed like there was a fireplace in every room. Plus, the smells wafting through the kitchen were divine. 

“Dr. Organa… this house is stunning. And whatever you’re cooking, that’s maybe the best smell I’ve ever encountered. **”** Rey gushed. 

“You’re here for Thanksgiving, Rey. I think you can start calling me Leia,” she said, smiling, at which Poe raised his eyebrows with a twinkle in his eye, mocking Ben. Ben scowled at him, but before he could say anything, a short, dark haired woman came scurrying into the room. 

“Ben Solo!” Her voice boomed, and Ben visibly shrunk. “I haven’t seen you since last Thanksgiving! What sort of way is that to treat your godmother?” The woman jumped, grabbing Ben by the ear and dragging him down forcefully. 

“Now, what do you have to say for yourself?” The woman demanded, pulling Ben slightly off balance  by his ear. 

“Hi Auntie Maz. I missed you,” he said sweetly, and the older woman laughed, grabbing his cheek and giving it a pinch. 

“Oh I am going to enjoy kicking your ass so much today on the field,” she gleamed at him, giving his cheek a little smack, before turning her attention to Rey. “Oh, and you’ve brought a girl. Let’s take a look at her,” she said to him, and Rey held out her hand to shake, but Maz grabbed it and yanked her down to eye level. 

Swapping a pair of glasses on her head for another pair around her neck, her magnified eyes took Rey in. “Oh Solo, she’s pretty. Very pretty indeed. Wonderful choice, I can tell.” 

Ben swallowed nervously. “Auntie Maz, Rey is actually my patient,” he corrected, and Maz rolled her eyes. 

“Yes, ok Ben,” she said, dismissively, before heading over to Poe. 

“I told you he’d say that,” Poe said to Maz, and she just laughed. “Indeed you did, Dameron. And I see what you were talking about now.”

“Guys, I’m standing right here,” Ben said, gesturing emphatically. The duo turned to look at him, before answering in unison: “We know.” 

Rey bit back a smile at Ben’s defeated expression. “This is going to be a long day,” he grumbled, and Rey bumped her shoulder against him. “Come on Solo, show me the house.” 

Rey got a brief tour of the house, which mostly consisted of Ben gesturing to different “wings” of the building, before Maz ushered him away to get ready for the “big game.” 

Ben had explained to Rey that it was a family tradition to play a game of football in the backyard, though Leia often chose to stay inside and cook rather than watch a bunch of Alphas destroy her carefully manicured lawn. Rain. Snow. Freak hot and humid Thanksgivings. It didn’t matter… he was expected to be in the backyard and ready to throw the ball. Rey never had much of a grasp on sports, so she was looking forward to watching from the balcony. 

Ben left her in his mother’s hands as he headed downstairs to the backyard, and Leia sat her down on a bar stool at a large island in the kitchen. “Rey, you can keep us company while we work on dinner,” Leia said, before introducing her to a purple-haired woman in the kitchen. 

“Nice to meet you,” Amilyn said. Rey swung her feet as she sat perched on a bar stool in the kitchen, nibbling at little samples the two women would give her. “Taste this.” “Taste that.” Rey was in heaven. 

Poe popped his head into the kitchen. “Where’s Han?” he asked, breathy and already a bit sweaty. 

Leia scowled at him. “How should I know? Rey, dear… would you wander down to the garage and see if you could find Ben’s father?” 

Rey slid off the barstool, smoothing out her dress. “Of course… it’s which way again?” Leia chuckled softly, pointing her in the right direction, and Rey was off. 

After a few twists and turns, she opened the door to a pitch black room. She felt up the walls until she finally found a lightswitch, and the room was illuminated. There were antiques galore, in various stages of repair. Rey took a few steps into the room and her eyes lit up, and she. Grandfather clocks of all shapes and sizes lined the walls. An organ was in the corner. Watches, kitchen appliances, jukeboxes, and a variety of other hodgepodge items were scattered on work benches, along the walls, and on various of shelves. A shiny red mixer in pieces on a messy workbench caught Rey’s eye. Whoever was putting it back together clearly didn’t know enough about gears, as they had the wrong one in place upside down. On instinct, Rey picked up a screwdriver and worked the gear out and replaced it with another from the bench, the right way. The wiring was a little amiss, so she might as well fix that, too. Before she knew it, she reassembled it, and flipped the switch on the side, bringing it to life. 

“Who are you?” A voice came from the doorway, and a gray-haired man in a leather jacket stood in the doorway, scowl etched across his face. 

“Oh, I… uh… I’m Rey,” she said, quickly turning the mixer off and backing away from the workbench. 

“Hmmmm,” the man said, as he walked a closer to the table. “Your Ben’s girl, right?”

Rey cringed a bit. “I don’t know if that’s the right word for me, but…”

“How’d you get this working again? Chewy and I have been working on it for months.” He asked inspecting the small machine. 

“Oh. Well, you had the wrong gear in. And backwards,” Rey popped the side off to show him. “See? Right here. Then I just switched those two wires, and ta-da!” 

The man gave her a look of disbelief. “That’s it, huh?” 

“Well, yeah. It’s not that hard,” she said, and then immediately regretted her choice of words. “Sorry, that was rude of me.” 

The man waved her off. “No no, you’re fine. Chewy will be put out that he didn’t catch that mistake. Say, what else do you think you could have a look at?”

Rey’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, well, what else are you working on?”

Fifteen minutes of tinkering later, a large hairy man burst into the workshop, where Rey was showing the older gentleman how to rewire the back panel of a vintage TV. “Kommer du eller inte Han?” He bellowed.

“Yeah yeah, I’m coming, I’m coming,” he grumbled, heading towards the door. He turned and pointed at her. “I like you. I could use someone like you around here!”

Rey breathed a sigh. It was an unconventional way to meet Ben’s father, sure… but it went well. Her chest swelled a little with pride at the thought that her eagerness to break and rebuild things had made a good impression on Ben’s dad. 

Not like it mattered. She was just Ben’s patient. A mantra she needed to keep repeating. 

She wandered slowly back up to the kitchen, pausing to look at photos that lined the hallway. 

Ben as a toddler on Han’s shoulders. The man had been handsome in his day, and she could see elements of Ben in his younger father’s features. Then there was sullen teenager Ben, bent over a table, working on calligraphy. High school graduation, where his too-big ears stuck out from under the graduation cap, a young Poe standing beside him. Then college graduate Ben, longer hair, more filled out, flanked by his beaming parents. Rey smiled and gently touched the frame. 

“We’re still proud of him, you know?” Came Leia’s  voice behind her, and Rey turned to face her. “Even if he operates in unconventional ways, and is too grumpy for his own good. We’re still proud. And we love him.” Rey nodded her head. 

“I can tell. I wish… I wish I had memories like these,” she said wistfully, and Leia came and put an arm around her, giving it a squeeze. 

“Well, it’s never too late to start making more memories. Why don’t you come get a nice cup of tea, and head out to watch the boys play. Ben will be happy to have you out there,” Leia guided her to the kitchen, before handing her a cup and shooing her out onto the porch. 

Ben looked miserable. He was paired with Han and Chewy, while Poe, Maz, and Luke lined up on the other side. Rey leaned over the rail to get a better view, and Ben looked up at her, a small smile playing across his lips. She gave a little wave, and then winced when a ball bounced off the side of his head. 

“Hey, heads up, Solo! We’re playing a game here!” Poe shouted, grinning cockily. Ben sighed heavily, and picked the ball off the ground, hurling it back at Poe with a bit more force than necessary. 

“Come on son, get your head in the game,” Han said, and Ben’s scowl deepened. Rey figured out they were already playing, and Ben’s team was behind.

Rey winced as the longer she watched, the more she could tell Ben was in his personal hell. Poe darted around the field, throwing dramatically to little Maz, who managed to be faster than any of them. Chewy mostly yelled in frustration in a language Rey couldn’t recognize, and Han mostly berated Ben for not focusing. 

“Ben, come on… focus,” Han said as they tried to regroup in a small huddle. Chewy grumbled in what Rey now thought was Swedish. Poe taunted from the other side of the yard. 

“Come on Ben, don’t be in such a  _ fowl  _ mood, it’s turkey day,” he teased, tossing the ball up into the air and catching it. 

Ben eye’s flicked over to Poe, grinning proudly at his terrible pun, and Han snapped his fingers, bringing Ben back into the huddle. “Now, let’s just catch a ball, get at least one touchdown, and go eat some damn dinner.” The huddle broke, and the three men lined up. 

“Get ready to get basted,” Poe chided at Ben, who rolled his eyes in response. Poe faked a quick throw before passing it off to Maz, who scrambled through Chewy’s legs, scoring another touchdown. 

“Damn it, Ben,” Han muttered, and Ben threw up his hands. 

“How is this  _ my  _ fault? I don’t even like this stupid game.”

“Oh come on, Ben, it’s tradition,” Luke chimed in, and Ben shot him a look that clearly said ‘shut up’. 

“Oh guys, don’t be so hard on Ben. He’s got a lady here after all,” Poe smiled and waved up at Rey as the two teams lined back up. Poe and Ben were head to head in their opposite lines. 

“Hey, Solo,” Poe said low, so that the others couldn’t here, “I bet the turkey isn’t the only thing getting stuffed tonight. Am I right?”

“That’s it,” Ben announced, and before anyone else knew what happened, Ben had surged forward and punched Poe square in the nose, before storming off. “I’m done!” He walked up the back-porch stairs, grabbing Rey by the hand and bringing her indoors, ignoring her silent expression of shock. Rey followed blindly behind him, somehow tasting the Alpha frustration on him when she inhaled. It made her want to soothe him.

“Mother, I need a shower. Poe will be coming in here shortly, and he will need ice. I’ll be back in fifteen to make pie. Rey, will you be ok here while I go clean up?” He asked. 

_ No, I want to stay with you. Protect me, Alpha _ . Rey nodded. “Of course.” 

“Great. I’ll be back shortly,” he announced, stroking the gland in Rey’s wrist briefly before walking off with purpose. She smiled as his touch calmed her as she yearned to calm him.

“What was that about?” asked Leia before, as Ben predicted, Poe came in flanked by Luke and Maz, who was insisting he tilt his head back as they tried to catch blood that was falling fast down his face. 

“Jesus Christ, what happened?” asked Leia as she rinsed a rag under the cool tap before pressing it into Poe’s hands, which were cradled under his nose. 

“Your son punched Poe in the face for no reason,” Han said, joining the room. 

Poe winced, “Yeah, that’s not entirely true. I may have deserved this one.” 

Leia handed Poe an ice pack for his nose, before lightly slapping him on the back of the head. “Stop teasing him. You know he doesn’t take it well. What’s wrong with you?” she chided him and he sighed, collapsing on the couch next to Chewy, still pinching the bridge of his nose and holding an ice pack to it. 

“Does he  _ have _ to hit people Leia?” Han questioned, grabbing a beer out of the fridge. 

“I don’t know, Han. Do you guys  _ have  _ to make him play football every year?”

The two stared at each other, Leia’s eyebrow raised and Han scowling. Finally, Han turned and walked out of the kitchen to join the others in the living room, where football was now blaring from the tv. 

“Rey darling, will you check on Ben, please? He’d probably like a little of that scotch from the bar cart while he’s getting ready, and go ahead and take this bag of ice up to him too, in case he hurt his hand,” Leia instructed, handing Rey an icepack and directing her to the fancy bar cart set up in a corner of the kitchen. Rey added a cube of ice and poured a few fingers of a smoky amber liquid in a fancy crystal glass, before heading off in search of Ben in the big house. 

Rey followed the sound of running water, finally finding Ben’s childhood bedroom. Adorably, it still had a “Ben Solo’s Room - Keep Out” sign on the front of the door, written in lovely calligraphy. The door was cracked open, and she heard the shower turn off, so she knocked gently on the door. 

“Knock Knock,” Rey said as she pushed the door open, eager to see the childhood bedroom of Dr. Ben Solo. The walls were sparse, with a few science fair awards on a bookshelf. She placed the glass of scotch down on the nightstand, and ran her hands over the bedspread. It was black.  _ Of course it is.  _

“Rey,” his surprised voice came from behind her, and Rey turned to see him standing shirtless, with a towel wrapped around his waist. 

Her eyes raked over his chest, before she managed to pull her gaze up into his handsome face. He seemed so much more relaxed when it was just the two of them. Or maybe that was just the hot shower.

“Feeling better?” she asked, and he nodded, heading to his bag to dig out an outfit for dinner. 

Rey didn’t know where to look. Well, she knew where she  _ wanted  _ to look. 

“Give me one second,” he said, before returning to his ensuite bathroom to put on a few more layers of clothing, and Rey sat down on his bed. The mattress squeaked beneath her, and she giggled, suddenly feeling giddy. 

Ben emerged again a few seconds later, still damp, but now donning pants. 

“Your mom wanted me to bring you some ice,” she held up the ice pack in her hands, “And she said you could probably use a drink.” Rey gestured to the scotch on the nightstand, and Ben let out a little amused noise. 

“A drink sounds great, actually,” he said, grabbing the glass and sitting down next to her. 

“How’s your hand?” she asked, and he held it up for her to examine, his other grasping the glass to take a hearty gulp. 

Rey took it in both her hands, and examined it gingerly. “It might be swollen tomorrow,” she said, placing the ice pack on top of it, and Ben winced, taking another sip. 

“Yeah, but it was worth it. Poe was asking for it,” he said, and Rey rolled her eyes at him. 

“Really?”

Ben’s face was serious. “Yes. He made a joke about us, uh, being together. It was inappropriate.” 

“So you punched him?”

“So I punched him.”

“You have a temper,” she stated, and Ben turned his head to face her. 

“I used to. I was an angry kid. I’ve had it all under control for a while, but lately, I’m letting my emotions get the best of me.” His eyes were on her lips.

Rey hummed in response, removing the ice to examine Ben’s hand again. 

“I think you’ll live,” she announced, smiling at him. 

“I’m sorry,” Ben started, trying to relieve the unspoken tension in the air. “Being around my family is stressful for me. It’s part of why I stay away from the lodge as much as I can. It’s a combination of all Alpha or just, nothing with the Betas. It makes for a weird vibe, and it can bring out the worst in me.” Ben paused and glanced up Rey. “But you make it better. Easier.” 

“Oh, so when I’m not here you punch more than one person?” Rey jabbed at him playfully, and Ben cracked a smile. 

“Only for you, darling,” he grinned, and bumped his shoulder back against hers. 

Rey smiled and scooted closer to him. “I am sure that being around family is stressful. And Poe knows how to push your buttons. You  _ did  _ overreact, but Poe shoots his mouth off enough, I’m sure this isn’t the first time that’s happened to him.”

“Yeah,” Ben said, chewing on his words before continuing, “So, my dad, he’s not an Alpha. I don’t know if you could tell or not, I know your sense of smell is still developing. Chewy isn’t either, actually -- they're both Betas.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I know they both, uh, they have strong personalities, so they can come off just as aggressive as the Alphas around them. Sometimes, I feel like… like they’re a little bit more… verbally intense, to keep up with all the Alpha-ness that gets thrown around on the field. It tends… it can get to me.”

Rey chose her words carefully. “Yeah, I can see that. I suppose I should say something about not letting family get to you, but I don’t really know much on the subject.” 

Ben winced.  _ Yes Ben, keep talking about your family with Rey who doesn’t have any.   _

“But,” Rey continued, “When I met your dad earlier, he was super nice to me. Well, maybe not  _ super _ nice, but I think he might have offered me a job. Maybe. I dunno, but he wasn’t mad about me working on a few piece of his in his workshop.”

A smile spread across Ben’s face, and he reached out to stroke her wrist, trying to calm her uncertainty about the interaction with his father. 

“Well, he would be smart to offer you a job if he did,” Ben said with a reassuring grin.

The two fell into silence for a few minutes, with Ben rubbing his thumb back across the gland in Rey’s wrist, her pulse increasing by the second. His finger slowed, and went from a gentle swipe back and forth, to a circular pressure, and Rey inhaled a ragged breath. It felt like with the touch of a finger, he could set her on fire. 

“I owe you something,” Ben said, and Rey shook her head again. 

“Like an apology?,” Rey asked, and Ben went to put his drink down. “You don’t owe me anything like that.”

Ben took her hand again, wrapping his fingers around her wrist once more, pulling her up from the bed. 

“I didn’t say it was an apology. I owe you something from earlier. Something I said we would revisit.” Ben’s thumb went back to tracing over the gland in her wrist, applying a steady pressure, and his eyes darted from her lips to her neck. 

Rey’s mind flickered back to the cabin earlier that day.  _ Oh _ .  _ OH.  _ Ben’s eyes bore into hers, and he pulled her closer, snaking his free hand to her back, before raising his other hand from her wrist to stroke her cheek gently, before cupping the side of her face. 

Ben Solo was going to kiss her. She knew it. His fingers graced the side of her cheek, and the hand on her lower back crept up before it was gently pressing on the most sensitive spot between her shoulder blades. Rey bit back a moan.

“Being here Rey, it brings out the Alpha in me.” Ben confessed, looking at Rey with lust, adoration, and a touch of hesitation. “It was selfish to bring you here, but I am so glad I did.” Ben inhaled deeply, taking in her scent. He leaned forward and nuzzled at her neck, and Rey let out a little gasp. He graced a soft kiss on the gland at the base of her neck, before pulling back. His eyes were drawn to her mouth, and his breath becoming ragged. 

Rey licked her lips, eyes flickering over his. “Are you going to kiss me, Ben?”

“Yes Rey, I am.” 

He lowered his mouth to hers. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, thank you to @howsolocanyougo for keeping me on track and focused. She is an amazing editor and beta! 
> 
> Real life is kicking my ass for the next week guys... apologies for delays on updates. 
> 
> But in the meantime, thoughts? Comments? Concerns? ;-)


	10. Networks Connected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has everything: Drunk aunts. Turkeys. Kissing. Ben making pie. Han making toasts. And a little bit of a cliff hanger because WE ARE TOTALLY EVIL.

The second Ben placed a chaste kiss on Rey’s lips, a spark passed between them. The electricity that rocked through them was overwhelming. They both faltered, pulling back from each other, their lips barely touching. His eyes opened and searched hers. Did she feel it too?  
  
“Rey.”

“Ben.”  
  
They spoke in unison, words ghosting from their lips. And then he was on her again. Burying large fingers in her soft curls, he pulled her closer to him. The other hand firmly gripped along her hip, anchoring Rey in place. As his lips crashed into hers again, she opened in reply. The kiss deepened, and Ben struggled to repress a moan. Her scent spiked with need, filling Ben’s flared nostrils, and suddenly… Ben was drowning in her. Her smell. Her touch. Her taste. He needed more. He pulled back from her, and gently tilted her head, exposing her neck. He shivered, barely keeping his tightly coiled desire at bay. He ran his face along her neck, inhaling deeply, before latching onto her neck, sucking and groaning into her gland.  
  
Rey keened. With his strong hands pressing her to him, his fingers gripping her hair, her body rejoiced and reveled in the firm direction. She never would have imagined he had this passion in him. And he felt it for her. It activated some previously unknown need, deep inside her. And when Ben rubbed his face along Rey’s neck, growling into her skin, Rey knew she wanted more. Needed more.  
  
“Please,” the words left Rey’s mouth as her brain seemed to glitch out. Ben worked his tongue over her neck, before raking his teeth over her gland and causing Rey to moan obscenely. Arousal pooled in her lower belly.  
  
Ben gently guided Rey back to the bed, pushing her into a seated position on the edge of the mattress, before lowering himself to his knees in front of her, still working his mouth against her neck. Kneeling in front of her brought him eye level with Rey. He was still so tall, even like this. Tall Alpha.  
  
Ben pulled back from her neck, bringing both hands to cup her face, and returned his attentions to her mouth, ravishing it. His tongue darted in, and Rey’s mind flickered to other places it could dart into. She whimpered against his lips, and Ben didn’t let up. More, Alpha.  
  
Rey’s hand pulled against his side, drawing him closer. Spreading her legs, she wrapped them around his hips, needing him closer.  
  
Groaning at her urgency, Ben nipped at her lower lip, trapping it between his teeth before sucking it into his mouth. Rey whimpered, tightening her fingers against his side, her nails leaving crescent-shaped marks in their wake.  
  
When she’d hoped he would kiss her back at the cabin, this wasn’t what she’d expected. This kiss had ignited into something more. Something in her brain clicked into place. In that moment, Rey realized a part of her had finally woken up. She was an Omega. She felt the need. She felt the want, the desire pulsing through her. And she wanted an Alpha to take care of her. Her Alpha. Ben.  
  
“Ben?” came a loud voice from behind the door, pulling both of them from their kiss-induced haze. Ben pulled back from her, whipping his head towards the bedroom door. “I have been knocking here for five minutes. Your mother wants to know…” Han started as he opened the door, eyes widening as his gaze landed on them. Ben, on his knees in front of Rey, between her legs. Both of them looking absolutely wrecked.  
  
“Oh shit, sorry son. Sorry… uh… you two just take your time, I’ll uh… I’ll be downstairs,” Han said as he quickly closed the door. Chewy mumble something loudly to Han, to which he responded with, “I did knock! Like twelve times! You were right here! Don’t throw this back on me.” The voices faded as they quickly went back down the hallway.  
  
Ben groaned, letting his head fall onto Rey’s shoulder. “You know, that’s the first time that’s ever happened, believe it or not,” he said, trying a joking tone on to diffuse the situation. He tried to ease his breathing, unsuccessfully.  
  
Rey was flushed, her heart pounding in her chest, a reaction to the mixture of embarrassment and the arousal that flooded her senses. She looked down at the half-naked Ben still nestled between her legs. “What was that, Ben?”  
  
“I got carried away. Far too carried away,” he said into her skin, allowing himself to savor her scent again. “Are you ok?” He pulled back to search her eyes.  
  
“I think… I think something… clicked. Did you feel it, too?” Rey’s voice was small, nervous.  
  
He smiled longingly at her, eager to reassure the worry in her eyes. “Yes, I feel it too.” His hand stroked her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb, attempting to sooth the anxiety that he still smelled on her. “I want to talk about this. I know this… complicates things. And they were already kinda complicated. But maybe... this isn’t the best time for that discussion. I hope you aren’t uncomfortable with… all this,” he gestured at his childhood bedroom around them.  
  
Rey smiled. “Weirdly, I’m not uncomfortable. Weirdly… this is the most normal I’ve ever felt. And you’re right, having the ‘what just happened’ conversation might be better suited to a place other than your childhood bedroom while you kneel before me shirtless.”  
  
Ben laughed dryly and pushed himself up to stand, and held out his hand to Rey. As she took it, he pulled her close once more. “This has evolved past what I ever thought would happen,” he murmured into her hair. He sighed. “Let me put a shirt on, and then we can go back downstairs.” He moved to release her, but paused. “Together.”  
  
Rey blushed and ducked her head. “Do you think everyone knows that we’ve been up here making out?”  
  
Ben laughed as he reluctantly pulled away from her to shrug into the dress shirt he pulled from his closet. “I think my father will probably keep that to himself. He’s probably more embarrassed than we are.”  
  
When they joined the others a few minutes later, it seemed Ben’s prediction was true: though Han blushed furiously when the couple walked in, slinking away to find a spot on the couch with Poe, the others seemed none the wiser. Leia was still fussing over the turkey, and Maz was shamelessly flirting with Chewy on a loveseat, who seemed to understand English perfectly.  
  
“Ben, what kept you two?” Leia chided, and Rey ducked her head into a blush. Ben placed his hand on her lower back, reassuring her. Not waiting for an answer, Leia gestured to a cleared section of the large kitchen island. “Now, I’ve made this spot over here for you, and you should have all of your ingredients. Rey dear, you can help him make the pies. I’m sure he’d love the help,” Leia instructed, before heading back over to the stove, where Amilyn was fiddling with the cranberry sauce.  
  
“It needs more sugar,” she argued, glass of champagne in her hand, and Leia swatted her away.  
  
“No, it does not, get out of here!” she said with a playful laugh, and Amilyn bumped her hip against Leia’s before sliding out of the way.  
  
“Rey, would you like a little bubbly?” she offered, and Rey’s eyes lit up.  
  
“Champagne?” she asked, and Amilyn laughed at her response.  
  
“Of course, it’s a special occasion!” She opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, and grabbed a flute out of a cabinet. She poured a little in a glass, and handed it to Rey.  
  
“Benjamin?” Amilyn offered, but Ben shook his head, raising his still-full glass of scotch in response.  
  
Rey raised the flute to her lips and giggled as the bubbles tickled her nose. Her nose crinkled and Ben watched her adoringly. She took a sip and her eyes widened.  
  
“This is amazing,” she gushed, and Amilyn looked pleased.  
  
“Yes, Veuve Clicquot is very good. So glad you like it,” she grinned at Rey before returning the bottle to the refrigerator and joining the others in the living room.  
  
“I’ve never had champagne before,” Rey mumbled giddily to Ben, and in spite of her excitement, his heart sunk at the reminder of how much of what he took for granted was foreign and new to her.  
  
“Well,” Ben said, pulling over a stool for her to sit on next to him, “It’s a very good brand. Amilyn and my mother have expensive tastes, but this is actually one that is worth the hype. If you like it, maybe I’ll take you Reims one day, and we can do a tour of the vineyard that made this bottle.”  
  
Leia turned at hearing this and raised her eyebrows at Ben, catching his eye before he looked away shyly.  
  
“In France?” Rey asked with a sarcastic giggle, eyeing him suspiciously. “Yeah, ok. Let’s go to France.”  
  
Ben tapped her nose with his finger. “It’s a date. Now, have you ever made a pie before?”

  
Two hours later, Rey’s dress was covered with flour handprints, and there were three perfect pies ready for the oven. Well, two perfect pies, and then one ugly looking pecan pie with jumbled pecans on top. Poe came into the kitchen to inspect their handiwork.  
  
“Did you make your bourbon pecan pie?” he asked, eyeing the selection that was about to go into the oven.  
  
“I did indeed,” Ben said, hoisting the large pumpkin pie off the table and into the oven.  
  
“Man Rey, Ben must really like you to let you help with the pies. I tried to help once, and he forbid me to even touch a pecan, never mind letting me actually lay them out. He’s usually too controlling to let anyone help. Needs everything to be done perfectly,” he commented, looking at the clear lack of a pattern on top of the pie, and Ben frowned at him.  
  
“She did just fine for her first pie. And for the record, Dameron, you’re not allowed to help because you’d eat all the candied pecans before the pie even went in the oven. Now, go watch football and get out of the kitchen,” Ben scolded. Poe winked at her, and headed back to the living room. Ben picked up the pecan pie and put it in with the pumpkin and apple, before closing the oven.  
  
Rey frowned, “I didn’t mess up your pie too bad, did I?” Ben brushed some flour from her jawline.  
  
“Absolutely not. It will be perfect.” She smiled warmly up at him, and his heart swelled. He looked back at the mess covering the counter. Dirty dishes and flour were everywhere. Ben was reminded how, at one point during the baking process, Leia had to leave the room to keep from commenting on the mess the two were making.  
  
“I’ll wash, you dry?” he asked her, and Rey giggled and nodded enthusiastically, picking up a towel.

As promised, the pies came out perfectly, their decadent scent filling the kitchen and mixing with all the other delicious smells. Rey felt her stomach growl, aware that a Thanksgiving meal was an intense setting for her fledgling Omega sense of smell. As the pies cooled, Leia produced the turkey from the oven like an artist unveiling a masterpiece. A chorus of “ooooos” and “ahhhhhhs” greeted her as she placed the big bird on the counter.  
  
“Honey, that’s probably your best bird yet,” Han commented, coming around to give her a side hug, before trying to pick off a small piece of meat.  
  
“Han! It just came out of the oven,” Leia scolded as he cursed, burning himself trying to yank it off. “Just let it cool. You can snack on it while you carve it in a little bit.”  
  
“It looks really good, mom,” Ben said, and Leia looked truly touched at his comment.  
  
“Thanks, Ben. Why don’t you and Rey bring some wine up from the cellar. You always have good taste when it comes to pairing,” she beamed at him as he nodded, and the two left the room to head downstairs.  
  
“I like them together,” Amilyn commented, once they were out of earshot.

Leia nodded. “Me too, but it’s a more complicated matter than that. He’s supposed to be her doctor,” Leia shrugged exasperatedly before digging through the lower cabinets.  
  
“Yeah, but it’s not the first time a doctor and patient have fallen in love,” Amilyn argued, taking a seat at the island. “Given the nature of your work, it’s bound to happen sometimes.”  
  
“I’m well aware of that,” Leia conceded, unearthing a few ornate bowls.  
  
Amilyn sighed. “You know I didn’t mean your father.”  
  
“I know you didn’t,” Leia responded, pausing for a second as she bit on her lower lip. “Their relationship, though, it consumed him. And you know how Ben is… he’s going to want to continue that research. And I don’t know if he has more self control than Anakin did. If he knows how conducting research will work when the subject is his mate. It’s unhealthy at best. Unethical at worst.”  
  
Amilyn pursed her lips. “Ben isn’t like Anakin, as much as he wants to be. Anakin loved your mother, and it destroyed him when he lost her. And maybe he went a little off the deep end. But I think we can agree on one thing… it worked, and they loved each other fiercely. Your parents found each other, and now Ben has found Rey. I mean, there’s still so much about this Omega/Alpha stuff that we just don’t know about. But when people are meant to be together, they know.”  
  
Leia sighed. “You make a good point. I don’t like it, but-”  
  
“Mom, which silverware are we using?” Ben’s voice called from the dining room.  
  
“You have more than one set of cutlery?” Leia heard Rey ask, and she smiled. She liked the girl, and the way that Ben looked at her... she couldn’t deny there was something there.  
  
“Your Grandmother’s set,” Leia called back, and Amilyn let out a little laugh  
  
“You’re going to be a grandmother next,” Amilyn smirked into her champagne glass, and Leia threw a dish towel at her.

  
The dinner spread out before Rey was unlike anything she had seen before. Sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, a plump turkey, green bean casserole, creamed corn, rolls still warm from the oven… her mouth was watering. Rey had never seen this much food in one place. Han stood at the head of the table, and clinked his fork on his wine glass.  
  
“Alright, I think it’s time for a speech. I’ll be quick, because this bird isn’t going to carve itself, but indulge me,” he started. Under the table, Ben took Rey’s hand in his. She gave it a little squeeze back, and smiled at him.  
  
“It’s so nice to have everyone here this time of year. I know I’m getting mushy in my old age, but we’re lucky to have such a wonderful family. Chewy, you’re the best. I don’t think I have to say more than that. Maz, we love having you here, even if it’s just so you can flirt with Chewy all day.”  
  
“He likes it,” Maz piped back, and everyone chuckled.  
  
“Amilyn, your hair color choices every year are a treat, and I know my wife loves that you keep her champagne glass full. We’re so glad you can join us.”  
  
“I am happy to be here, always,” Amilyn replied, raising her glass.  
  
“Luke, I see you all the time, and you’re always grumpy. I promise you can go finish the game after supper,” Han said with a smirk.  
  
“Ha. Ha. So funny,” Luke said with an eye roll, but smiled back at Han. “I’m glad to be here.”  
  
“Poe, it’s a shame your folks can’t be here with us this year, but we’re glad to have you, even if it was just to get punched in the face,” Han continued, and Poe laughed.  
  
“I’m here for the beer and pie, too,” he joked back.  
  
Han rolled his eyes before turning his attention to Ben and Rey, “Ben, it’s great to have you here, and to see you so happy. Rey, I believe we have you to thank for that. So, thank you so much, and please come back every year if it means Ben will continue to be in such a good mood. Though I move that he should be expelled from our annual football game.”  
  
Everyone laughed a little again, and Han looked down at the other end of the table at Leia. “Leia, you are a marvel. This is the most perfect Thanksgiving table I’ve ever seen, and I’m a Goddamned lucky man to get to call you my wife. So please, everyone, raise your glasses to the chef, and let’s hurry up and eat! Cheers!”  
  
Everyone lifted their glasses to cheers, and Rey couldn’t keep from grinning. This was what having a family was like. This was just like what she used to see on sitcoms growing up, and Rey couldn’t have been more thrilled. Everyone was suddenly passing dishes and loading their plates up, as Han carved the turkey from his spot at the head of the table.  
  
Ben bumped shoulders with her, and mirrored her grin. “You alright there?” he teased at her big smile.  
  
“Perfect, Ben. I am absolutely perfect. Now pass those mashed potatoes!” She gestured at the bowl to his right, and he laughed, passing it to her.  
  
Ben beamed down at Rey as she piled the potatoes high on her plate. He had to agree. It was a perfect Thanksgiving.

 

Most of the crowd headed home around 9. Chewy lived in his own apartment on the property, and no one batted an eye when Maz followed after him a few minutes later. Amilyn enjoyed one last coffee before heading out, and when Rey started nodding off on Ben’s shoulder during the annual re-watch of Home Alone post-dinner, Poe drove them home.  
  
Soon, it was just Leia, Luke, and Han sitting around the big fireplace in the living room, enjoying a nightcap.  
  
“So, are we going to talk about the elephant in the room, or are we not?” Leia said, sipping on her brandy.  
  
“The Ben and Rey elephant?” Han asked, and Luke nodded.  
  
“I suppose we can,” he said, and Leia sighed.  
  
“He’s falling for her. And I swear, their scents are mingling already,” Leia said, rubbing two fingers against her temple.

“Impossible. Ben said they hadn’t even kissed yet,” Luke scoffed, and Han raised his eyebrows.  
  
“Well, that’s not what I saw earlier,” he drawled smugly into his glass, and the twin’s heads both shot up in unison. “What?” Han said defensively. “You told me to go find out what was taking so long. They weren’t answering the door, and I knocked several times. And I might have found them in a compromising situation.”  
  
“Compromising how?” Luke asked, eyes narrowing.  
  
It was Han’s turn to scoff. “I didn’t stay and watch, Luke! But there was kissing. And that’s more than I wanted to know about my son’s sex life anyway.”  
  
Luke frowned. “He thinks they are true mates.”  
  
“How do you know that?” Leia demanded.  
  
“He asked me to run the bloodwork,” Luke said, and Han raised his eyebrows again.  
  
“You know, as a Beta I don’t know that much about all this stuff, but I know this much: our boy loves that girl. You can see it on his face. And I think she loves him back. It might be a little complicated, sure. But you guys need to relax. This isn’t a bad thing. You’re just overthinking it,” Han said, gesturing with his glass.  
  
“True mates are so rare, Han. The odds of them actually being true mates are…” Luke started but Han held up his hands.  
  
“Never tell me the odds. I don’t care. I know that sometimes you just love someone. Who would have thought a Beta and an Alpha would make it together, but here we are.” Han gestured between Leia and himself. “I’m sure the odds of that working aren’t great either. But we make it work. You two get lost in numbers and the medical jargon too much. Sometimes, people just love other people. It’s that simple.” Han frowned and sat back in his chair with a huff, before getting up. “I’m going to bed. You two need to push aside your judgement, and just be happy for our son,” Han pointed at both of them, directing the last part at Leia, and left the room.  
  
The two siblings set in silence for a few moments. “I suppose he’s right,” Leia said, fumbling with the edge of the chair’s arm.  
  
“I hate it when he’s right,” Luke countered, and a little smile ghosted her lips.  
  
“Yeah me too,” she said softly, rising from the chair and giving her brothers shoulder a squeeze on the way out of the living room. “Goodnight Luke,” she said, as she followed her husband to their room.  
  
Luke watched her leave, the fire crackling softly. The blood test would come back in two weeks, but he could smell Rey’s first heat drawing closer. Ben was wading into uncharted waters. The same pursuit had left Padmé dead and driven Anakin to madness. Would Ben and Rey make it out of this alive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for the delay guys. I did warn you. 
> 
> Please, let me just mention that @howsolocanyougo IS a co-writer at this point. She's helping me through this story, and making it so so SO much better. Please thank her for me. She's amazing and I adore her help and insight. Also, she knows how this story ends now... so there's that. 
> 
> More chapters are coming. I promise the heat is close. Very close....


	11. Bypass Protocol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ben,” Rey whispered, a longing in her voice. “Please…”
> 
> Ben nuzzled into her neck. “It’s not time, baby.” He said against her skin. 
> 
> “I know, Ben. I, I want you now. Before… before I lose myself in this,” Rey said softly, placing a quivering hand against his side, pulling him gently towards her.

The tires of Poe’s truck crunched up the snowy driveway to the cabin. Rey snored softly on on Ben’s shoulder in the backseat, while all of the leftovers Leia insisted they take home buckled into the front seat. When they arrived, Poe cut the engine and Ben slid out of the back seat, gathering Rey up bridal style to carry her inside. Poe snatched the keys from Ben’s hands with a wink and grabbed the tupperware from the front seat, before helping Ben into his own front door. 

“I’m just going to…” Ben gestured between Rey, still asleep in his arms, and the bedroom and Poe waved him off. 

“Go put her down. I know where your fridge is,” he said. 

Ben headed towards the big bed, gently closing the door behind him with his foot. Rey was out cold, so Ben laid her on top of the covers and pulled his softest blanket down from the closet to cover her.. Tucking her in, he kissed her forehead, frowning at the warmth of her skin.  _ Is she always this warm, or is the cabin just cold and she feels warm by comparison?  _

Ben heard Poe rummaging around in the fridge, and cursed softly under his breath before heading towards the living room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. 

“Jesus Solo, it’s freezing in here. Don’t you heat the place?” Poe smiled his signature shit-eating grin at Ben, handing him a glass of amber liquid. Ben looked unamused. 

“You’re a creature of habit Benny boy. You keep your scotch in the same place you have for the past 10 years,” he said with a wink (a habit Ben found decidedly un-charming) and knelt down by the fireplace to start stacking logs. 

“You always did make yourself at home, Dameron,” Ben said with a sigh, grabbing newspapers from his chair and balling them up to hand to Poe for fire starter. Poe laughed, and a few minutes later, a fire roared to life. 

Ben sat back in his chair, and Poe perched on the arm of the couch. “I’d say sorry I hit you but…” Ben started, and Poe snorted. 

“Yeah I deserved it. That was uncalled for,” Poe said, taking a sip of the scotch. “In fact, I really should be thanking you instead of giving you so much grief. Your little outburst the other day kicked Finn into rut.” 

Ben raised his eyebrows at Poe. “Oh?” he asked, hiding his smile in his drink. 

Poe laughed, almost bashful, and ran his fingers through his curly hair. “Yeah, that was uh… fun.” A sly smile slid across his face, and Ben shook his head. 

“Equal opportunity, Poe,” he muttered playfully, and Poe gaped in mock offense. 

“He’s a handsome man. Who would I be if I didn’t help him out in his hour of need?” Poe said, and this time, Ben did laugh. 

“I bet you did, Dameron,” he said, and they both laughed, before settling into comfortable silence. The fire crackled. 

Poe cleared his throat. “She’s good for you,” he said, and Ben glanced over to him. “I mean, I think you’re crossing some lines, but I know you know that. But it’s nice to see you smile again. I miss that Ben, sometimes.”

Ben pursed his lips, chewing on the inside of his lip and pausing, before speaking. “Yeah, I miss him sometimes, too. Rey is- Rey is special. I think… I think I’d do anything to not lose her.” 

Poe’s eyes widened a bit. “You got it bad, dude.”

Ben laughed dryly. “You have no idea, Dameron. She’s just… she’s…”

“She’s about to go into heat, Ben. I can smell it, so I know you can. I mean this cabin right now, it’s intense. You have to know that,” Poe gestured around the place. 

“I guess? Not yet though,” Ben said with a false confidence. Truthfully, he had no idea, but he knew it was soon. 

It was Poe’s turn to laugh and shake his head. “You’re about to lose control of this situation.”

“I know.” Ben answered quickly. “I just… there’s something there Poe. I can’t describe it. We have this connection, and there’s just… I can’t let her go.” 

“You know heats and ruts can make us feel things that we usually…” Poe started but Ben shook his head. 

“No, Poe, I felt this from day one. It’s just getting stronger.” This time his confidence was genuine. 

The two men sat in silence again, letting the fire crackle, before Poe downed his drink and stood up, clapping Ben on the back. “Solo, you’re in over your head, but I know you’ll find a way out. That girl makes you happy, so I’m with you. Don’t let her go.” 

Ben looked up at the face of his old friend and nodded. “Thanks, Poe.” 

“You’re welcome, Ben. Now, I gotta jet because I promised Finn I would bring him leftovers, and you know how hungry we get after a rut.” Poe winked at Ben, before gesturing to the fridge. “Do you think that will be enough food for the two of you after what is going to-”

“Bye, Dameron,” Ben hastily cut him off, jumping up from his chair as Poe scampered out the door with a laugh. 

Ben settled into his chair with a book, and sipped the rest of his scotch. It was late, but his brain wouldn’t turn off.  _ How close is Rey to her heat? _

Ben found out a few hours later. Rey came padding out of the bedroom with her hair in a topknot and wearing one of Ben’s flannels. She squinted at the light of the living room and shivered, even though the room was toasty warm. 

“Rey,” Ben said softly, looking  up from his book. “Is everything ok?”

Rey nodded silently and walked over to the refrigerator, cracked it open, and bent over in front of it. Ben’s nostrils flared. Rey smelled amazing. His grip tightened on the book he was holding. 

“Rey, what are you doing, darling?” he asked calmly, standing from his chair and turning towards the kitchen. Rey was digging through the leftovers, but her nose was turning up at everything in there. “Are you hungry?” Ben asked. 

“Yes. No. I don’t know,” Rey huffed, and shut the door. “I feel like I’m having hunger pains. But I’m not hungry. I’m not sure what’s going on.” She rolled her neck, rubbing her hand along her gland and wincing. Frowning, she headed back to the bedroom. 

Ben stood still in the living room. Her heat was almost here.  _ Rey’s heat. My Omega’s heat _ . Ben slowly put down his book, and took a few long strides to the bedroom. Rey was pulling every sheet and blanket down from the cabinet, and throwing the scratchy ones on the floor. 

“Do you- is there anything I can get for you?” Ben said softly from the doorway, and Rey huffed yet again. 

“I just can’t get comfortable. I don’t know. I feel like I want to crawl out of my skin,” Rey shivered again, and threw a few pillow cases behind her head, plunging back into the linen closet.

“Rey,” Ben said softly, and Rey grunted in response, focusing on finding the perfect blanket. 

“Rey,” Ben said again, firmer, and Rey blew hair out of her face, which was slowly becoming flushed and damp from her exertion. 

“What, Ben?” she almost snapped, and Ben didn’t answer until she turned to look at him. 

“I think it’s here,” he said softly, and Rey’s features settled into confusion. 

“What?” she asked, looking annoyed. 

“Your heat,” Ben said, taking a few steps toward her.

Rey’s eyes widened with understanding. 

“I mean, I don’t think it’s here quite yet, but almost, Rey. Almost,” Ben said, as he closed the space between them, and gently pulled Rey into a standing position from where she was hunched over.

“Will it… will this get worse?” Rey asked, suddenly looking nervous. She fidgeted in his hands, and itched at her neck again, wincing at the sensitivity.

Ben pulled her to him, and brushed her fingers away from her neck, replacing them with his. They came to rest against the gland on her neck, applying a steady pressure. Rey moaned into his touch, instantly relaxing. 

“It will, Rey, but I am here to make it better. I promise. I’ll take good care of you,” he whispered against her ear, and Rey shivered again. Her skin was hot, and dewy, and her smell…. Ben inhaled deeply and had to fight back a groan. He lowered his head and licked across her gland. 

“Ben,” Rey whispered, a longing in her voice. “Please…”

Ben nuzzled into her neck. “It’s not time, baby.” He said against her skin. 

“I know, Ben. I, I want you now. Before… before I lose myself in this,” Rey said softly, placing a quivering hand against his side, pulling him gently towards her. 

Ben pulled back from lavishing attention on her neck, and searched her eyes. “Are you sure, Rey? You smell… you smell so good. Being with you might throw me into rut early, and I don’t know if I can control it. I don’t want to be too intense with you when you’re not in heat yet.”

Rey nodded. “My heat is almost here. I want to be with you first, if just once. I trust you.” 

Ben searched her hazel eyes, looking for signs of hesitation. All he found was pure need.

“Are you  _ sure _ ?” he asked once more, and Rey let out a little laugh, rolling her neck in agitation now that his constant pressure had stopped. 

“Ben, this is going to happen one way or another. I’d rather be…  _ myself _ the first time. I can’t imagine being with anyone else. Please… show me.”

Satisfied, Ben smiled and resumed his attentions on her neck.. He brushed a piece of hair back from her ear, kissed her gently on her nose, and rested his forehead against hers. 

“Ok, Rey,” he said, his breathing growing ragged. She smiled up at him, relieved. 

He ran his hand down her face, staring at her with adoration, to the buttons of his shirt she was wearing. With shaking hands, he slowly unbuttoned each, lowering himself down to his knees in front of her. He ran his hands up her sides to her back through the open shirt, pulling her to him and leaving sloppy, slow kisses down her chest to her navel and back up. He slid the shirt off her arms so she stood in front of him in just her panties. His breath hitched.

“So beautiful,” he mumbled into the soft skin of her belly, lavishing it with kisses. He couldn’t keep his lips off her, so eager to taste every inch of her. Rey’s head fell back as she buried her hands in his hair.  _ So soft _ . His mouth moved across the skin of her breasts, slowly licking around each nipple before taking it into his mouth. Teeth lightly grazed the now tight buds, and Rey inhaled sharply through her teeth, pulling gently on Ben’s hair. Setting an agonizingly slow pace, he moved between each breast, still holding her close to him, his large hands stroking up and down her back. His hands, his lips, his tongue were all over her, and she felt heat pooling in her belly. He released one nipple with a small pop and the scent of the first wave of slick hit Ben’s nose. 

“Jesus, Rey,” Ben groaned into her skin, slowly backing her to the bed, and pushing her back against the nest of blankets and pillows she’d been working on. Ben yanked his shirt over his head and crawled up onto the bed, caging her body with his. 

His eyes roamed over her. Disheveled hair, flushed skin, tight, pert nipples. “You are  _ so _ fucking beautiful,” Ben’s voice was full of wonder and Rey looked away, blushing. 

“No one has ever said that to me,” she said, and Ben pulled at her chin so her eyes met his. 

“Then I promise there won’t be a day that goes by that I don’t tell you. My beautiful Rey.” He kissed her, working his lips down her body and pulling her further into the bed. 

He reached the edge of her panties, and nuzzled into them, inhaling deeply. Her scent was so decadent to him, he could smell her wetness. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. The salty shore he’d seen in his mind as he slept beside Rey was suddenly crystal clear. And beneath it, the hints of warm carmel sank into his senses, and he knew that the taste of dulce de leche would wash over his tongue from her molten core. Rey closed her legs, bashful at her arousal. 

“Are you embarrassed?” His big brown eyes looked up, searching hers. She smiled in reply, but he could see she was, in spite of her desire. “My love, you are perfect. You smell… amazing. I can’t wait to taste you.” He kissed along her hip bones and panty line, and as her legs eased open, he hooked his fingers under the fabric and pulled it down her legs. 

Running a finger along her folds, he marveled at her wetness. Rey watched with wide eyes as he slipped his finger into his mouth, and his eyes rolled back. 

“Fuck, you taste...,” he started, before lowering his head to ravish her sex. Rey groaned and clutched the sheets in her fists. 

“Ben,” she said, begging in her voice. She was opening herself to him, but he needed to make sure she was ready for him. He sank two fingers into her, continuing to lavish her clit. His tongue circled the bud, taking it into his mouth slowly while his fingers set a steady pace, pumped in and out of her. Rey’s body quivered beneath him and her hips bucked with increasing urgency on the bed. Ben used his free hand to push her gently back down, holding her in place as she squirmed on his fingers. 

“Ben, please…” Rey moaned as Ben’s fingers speed up, the wet sounds of her slick filling the room. 

“Rey, come for me,” Ben told her, a new authority in his voice. “Come for me, my little Omega.” Ben crooked his two fingers up, and firmly took her clit into his mouth, sucking hard, and Rey seized up. Her legs locked around Ben’s head and her back arched. She reached the precipice of her pleasure, tremors passed in waves through her body. Ben lapped at the fresh slick as she clenched hard on his fingers. 

“Good girl,” he said against the skin of her inner thigh as he helped her ride out her orgasm. “Good girl.”

Rey panted as Ben crawled up the bed to kiss her. Her face was flushed, her eyes closed in bliss. She laced her fingers through his hair, sucking on his lower lip and tasting herself on him. Pleasure continued to roll through her body, but it wasn’t enough. 

“Ben,” Rey practically purred against his lips. “I need you. Please…” Wordlessly, Ben nodded and rose to strip himself of his dress pants and his boxer briefs, significantly easing the strain between his legs. 

He paused to gaze at her spread on the bed before him, more beautiful than he’d ever seen her, the hunger in her eyes growing. He wanted nothing more than sate that hunger, but her knew he couldn’t lose himself, not completely. “Rey, I know you have the implant, but do you want me to…” Ben started to ask, and Rey shook her head no. 

“Ben, I want to feel you. And… I mean, once my heat starts… condoms wouldn’t really help the whole process would it?” Rey smiled softly, and Ben let out a little laugh, bending to kiss her shoulder. 

“No, I suppose not,” he said, he slid his tongue across her gland. She shivered, and he smiled against her skin. They’d never been this intimate, but even so he could read her body like a book. Every shiver, every whimper, her need was so clear to him. He lavished her neck with his tongue while his free hand roamed across Rey’s body, stroking lightly across her breast, leaving goosebumps in its wake before trailing down, and gently circling her clit once more. Rey moaned pitifully at the teasing. 

“Ben…” Rey whined, and Ben chuckled against her skin, dipping one finger inside of her. She could feel his hard length pressed up against her leg. Her core ached in anticipation, a need she’d never felt before wracked her body.

He hummed against her gland, and his teeth scraped over the sensitive skin there. Rey hissed and dug her nails into Ben’s arm. 

Ben growled, and suddenly he was on top of her. “I know what you need, my Omega. I’ll take care of you.” She knew he would. Another gush of wetness filled the room, her scent overpowering them both. He was there, at her entrance. Rey was suddenly wide eyed. She had seen him, he was big… and now…

“Don’t worry, baby, we’re going to go slow,” his voice was strained and he stroked her face. Rey nodded, and he kissed her softly before slowly easing in. 

Rey bit her lip and her eyes rolled back in her head. Little by little, he filled her. She felt her core stretching to accommodate him, and it was almost too much. It was so new to her and it felt so right. She clutched as his back for purchase. Trembling, holding himself back, he seated himself in her, planting kisses gently along her neck, and cooing reassuring words. “Good girl. You’re taking me so well. You feel amazing. My Rey. My Omega. So perfect.” Ben babbled as he held himself back, and let Rey adjust. After a few agonizing beats, Rey let out a shaky breath, and urged Ben to move. 

Ben withdrew slowly, and Rey let out a delicious moan. Ben cursed softly, moving and and biting his lip to hold back. Rey opened her eyes, and looked into his dark chocolate ones. He was absolutely wrecked. 

“More Ben, please…I can handle it. ” Ben fell to his elbows, forehead pressed against Rey’s and he thrust into her. She gasped as he drove into her, his pace increasing. He pulled her left leg up, suddenly hitting a deeper angle. Rey let out a little yelp before it melted into a moan. 

“Good girl. You feel so fucking amazing Rey, fuck,” Ben panted, dropping his hand to her clit. He could feel his knot begin to swell, surprised he lasted as long as he had. He knew he was so far gone. He felt Rey tense as his knot swelled at the base. 

“Can I… is that ok?” Ben asked slowing his pace,  and Rey nodded emphatically, eyes looking back at him with trust. Ben kissed her sweetly, and sped up his fingers around her clit. “Just relax, I’ll take care of you. Come for me ok?” 

Rey let out a little whimper as Ben’s hand sped up, matching pace with his thrusting. “Good girl. My perfect Rey. Come for me baby.... Come for me on my knot,” His voice was firm.  _ Alpha _ . 

And in that moment… Rey’s body couldn’t refuse. Her back arched off the bed, and her nails dug into Ben’s back, as he pumped into her a few more times before he was locked firmly in Rey and coming with a loud growl.

Ben held himself up on shaky forearms, before wrapping Rey in his arms and rolling to his back. His cock twitched and pumped into Rey. She moaned softly, her cunt still clenching and spasming around his knot. Ben stroked her back and whispered praise into her ear, mumbling how good she was for him, and Rey basked in the glow, cuddling into Ben’s chest and trying to steady her breath. 

“You did so well, my good Omega. Rest now, Rey,” Ben stroked her hair, and kissed the top of her head, tucking her under his chin. 

Rey smiled into his chest, shivering as Ben’s cock pulsed inside her once more. If this was a preview for the next few days, maybe a heat wouldn’t be so bad.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's all applaud @howsolocanyougo for being jet lagged and getting this edited reworked over the past few days. She's amazing, and you can thank her for keeping Ben on track. 
> 
> More Heat is on the way....


	12. Did you try turning it off, and then turning it back on?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey was no stranger to pain. Once, when she tried to pry a piece of a car’s engine loose, she split her thumb straight down the bone. Of course, Plutt just slapped a bandaid on it, even though it clearly needed stitches. She could never quite bend it the same way after it healed. Growing up with a severe lack of food, hunger pains were second nature. She was used to the dull ache of want in her stomach, it was just her normal. When she was really little, she had broken her collarbone fighting with another kid in the orphanage. You can’t really set a bone without surgery, and she learned the hard way that every single muscle in the body is connected to your collarbone. The two months after she broke it were some of the most painful of her life. 
> 
> Nothing, none of what had happened in her past prepared her for the pain and want of heat.

Rey was no stranger to pain. Once, when she tried to pry a piece of a car’s engine loose, she split her thumb straight down the bone. Of course, Plutt just slapped a bandaid on it, even though it clearly needed stitches. She could never quite bend it the same way after it healed. Growing up with a severe lack of food, hunger pains were second nature. She was used to the dull ache of want in her stomach, it was just her normal. When she was really little, she had broken her collarbone fighting with another kid in the orphanage. You can’t really set a bone without surgery, and she learned the hard way that every single muscle in the body is connected to your collarbone. The two months after she broke it were some of the most painful of her life. 

Nothing, none of what had happened in her past prepared her for the pain and want of heat. 

Rey came to the next morning doubled over in bed. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and a loud sob was wrenched from her throat, startling Ben from his slumber. His sleepy haze evaporated  as he realized what was happening, and he pulled Rey to him, kissing and caressing her neck. She leaned into his touch, relaxing somewhat as he sucked at her neck. 

But it wasn’t enough. He smelled so good to her, and she needed him inside her.  _ Alpha will make it better. Alpha will take care of you.  _

“I’ve got you, Rey. I’ve got you, Omega,” Ben crooned against her skin, and Rey inhaled a ragged breath. Her body was on fire, her insides clenching helplessly on nothing. She didn’t know it was going to feel like this. The pain consumed her body, but her mind was consumed by need. Her brain was shorting out, and throwing everything aside except for the need to be filled. The desperation brought tears to her eyes. 

“Ben, please…it hurts so much.” she begged, scrambling to press herself against him. Ben hushed her. 

“I’ll make it better, sweetheart. I promise. Trust me, and turn over,” he whispered into her skin. 

Rey was on fire. She eagerly turned over. Vaguely, she remembered her dream of this moment, which paled in comparison to the heat that gripped her now. She pressed her head into the pillow, lifting her backside in the air. Ben groaned at the sight beneath him.  _ So perfect, so eager, just for me. My Omega. _ He was snapped out of his reverie when she whined again.

“I know you’ll make me feel so good, Ben, just make it better.” She cried, gripping the pillow. 

Ben leaned over her, pressing down on the gland on her back. “Be still, little Omega. I’ll take care of you.” Rey stilled until the only sound in the room was her panting. The silence echoed around them, and then Ben sunk into Rey in one fluid thrust. 

Rey felt like the world hit the pause button. In that moment, the ethical implications of what they were doing didn’t matter. No, in that moment, her Alpha was taking care of her, his Omega. And the delicious stretch of being filled by him was the drug that Rey never new she needed. 

“Oh my god, Rey,” Ben whispered, bringing her back. “You are perfect, my love. Perfect.” He was finally serving his purpose -- fucking an Omega through her heat. And not just any Omega, but his perfect Rey. She was pliant beneath him, and he wanted to give her everything.

As if hearing his thoughts, she spoke, half muffled by the pillow. “More, Ben, please,” she begged, pushing back against him. Ben took a shaky, steadying breath, before starting to move. 

Nothing about this time was slow. It was frantic. Hands. Teeth. Mouths. Moans. The way Ben fucked her into the bed was primal, and the noises he was making sent goosebumps across Rey’s skin. She sobbed in relief.

As he lost himself in fucking her, Rey soon felt herself chasing her release, but needing to be brought over the edge. “Ben. Ben please, I need to come…” Ben instantly brought a hand around to circle her clit quickly. 

“Good girl, Omega. Tell me what you need, my good girl. You’re going to cum so many times for me,” he babbled as Rey quickly fell over the edge, arching her back and clamping down on Ben’s cock. He growled at the sensation and pulled Rey up, holding her flush against his chest as he continued to move with abandon as pleasure still rolled through her body. One large arm held her tightly to him, hand resting possessively at the base of her neck, while his other hand continued to lavish her clit with attention. 

“Ben… Ben, oh god,” Rey moaned and writhed under his hands as he nipped at her mating gland, wishing nothing more than to sink his teeth into the tender skin. As his teeth raked over the spot, Rey seized up again, coming a second time.  

Ben grinned into her skin. “That’s my girl,” he said, and the knot of his cock begin to swell. Rey let out a little gasp as it began to catch in her tightness. “You’re going to take this knot so well, my little Omega. I promise, I am going to take such good care of you,” he babbled, and Rey knew he was losing himself to his need as well. And she could care less.  _ More. I want more. _

Rey gasped in pleasure with each thrust as Ben’s pace quickened. He let out a loud growl and in a few quick, hard thrusts, his knot was locked deep within her. As his cock swelled and and pumped his release, she felt the first relief from her heat, sighing contentedly with each pulse of come. 

Ben wrapped both arms tightly around her as he settled them on their sides, throwing her leg back over his. He moaned as his cock continued pulsing, releasing thick ropes of come deep within her. Licking and sucking at her neck, Rey let out little mewls of contentment as she felt Ben’s cock throb.  The more he came, the more relaxed she felt, coming down from their frantic fucking. But Ben brought his hand around to rub at her clit again, soon her small noises became loud, desperate moans as he impossibly brought her back to the brink. 

“Come once more for me, Omega. You’re doing so well for me, and it’ll feel so much better. Come on my cock.” His command dragged her over the edge again, her body seizing up and clamping down on his knot in a way that made her eyes roll back in her head. 

“Ben, Ben, Ben,” Rey babbled into the pillow, her cunt milking Ben’s cock. 

“My Rey. My perfect Rey,” Ben said into her ear, pulling her even closer to him as they both waited to come down. Little noises of pleasure fell from both of their lips as their bodies slowly settled, and eventually they both drifted back to sleep.

 

Hours later, Rey awoke to pain gripping her abdomen and the sensation of Ben lapping at her clit. Ben’s wicked tongue, sliding along her sex in the mix of both of their fluids, stoked the need even more. 

“ _ Yes _ ,” she moaned.  _ More. I need more.  _

“I smelled your need, Omega. I knew... I knew you would wake up wanting,” he mumbled into her skin, satisfied that his instincts were correct, that he was providing his Omega what she needed. He slipped two fingers inside of her without warning. 

Her hips bucked off the bed, and Ben groaned around her clit, a fresh wave of slick washing over his tongue. “You taste like home, Rey. You’re my home,” Ben said as he kissed his way up her body, and pulled her to him.  _ Home.  _ Her Omega brain liked that. This was her home. This was where she was supposed to be. 

He rolled them so he was on his back as she straddled him. Her eyes were hooded as she slid her dripping sex along his cock. He gazed up at her in awe of her glistening body, gripping him as she sought out her own pleasure. She sank down on him, sighing in relief. 

“Oh god, Ben… I need it.”

“Good girl. Ride me, Rey… take what you need.” She began sliding up and down slowly on his cock, filling her completely from the new angle. 

Ben brought one hand to her taut nippled and trailed it from breast to breast as Rey sped up her pace. His other hand came down to rub her clit. She tightened on his cock. 

“Does my Omega like that?” 

“Yes, Alpha!” Rey nodded frantically, planting two hands on his chest to steady herself as she fucked him faster. Ben growled and grabbed her, pulling them both back until he was sitting propped up against the headboard. He wrapped her legs around him and Rey groaned, head falling against Ben’s forehead, as his cock hit an even deeper spot within her. 

Ben’s knot was already swelling, and he fucked up into Rey hard, letting her fall back into one of his arms as he held her, rubbing her clit frantically as he brought her to yet another orgasm. 

“Good girl, Rey. You take my knot so well,” he praised her, and her nails dug into his biceps as she continued spasming around him. After a few more thrusts, he followed her in his release. 

“Rey,” he gasped against her lips, kissing her. Rey buried her fingers in his hair. As he came in her, he reached down to work at her clit again. 

“Ben, I can’t come again... “ Rey started, about to protest another orgasm, before he nipped at her gland again. 

“Yes, you can my Omega. It’ll feel so good, I promise. Come again for me.” His voice was tender, but the very loud Omega part of her brain heard it as a command.

“Ben!” Rey cried out, blinking back tears of pleasure that threatened to run down her face. 

Ben thrust up just slightly, as much as his knot would allow, and Rey gasped, shivering almost violently in his arms. 

“I know you’re right there, Rey. Come for me, Omega.  _ Do it _ ,” Ben ordered, and another orgasm ripped through Rey. Ben’s mouth was on her in an instant, kissing her neck and mumbling praise against her skin. 

“My lovely, Omega. You did so good.” He pushed her hair back out of her face, desperate to look into her eyes. She smiled softly at him, trying to catch her breath. Ben moved them both down the bed, careful to not pull at them where they were joined, and tucked her head under his chin as they lay together, Ben’s cock still filling her. Rey sighed again in his arms, trying to snuggle deeper.

“Ben, this thing between us… it’s…” Rey started and Ben just ran a hand soothingly down her back. 

“I know Rey. I know,” he said, shutting his eyes. 

  
  


Rey’s heat lasted for 5 days, and Ben never left her side. When she was hungry, Ben carried her into the kitchen, sitting her on his lap, and fed her cheeses and meats, small bits of protein to keep her strength up. He coaxed her into drinking water, before taking her on the kitchen table. And then in his high back chair with her straddling his lap. And then from behind, across the back of the couch. And each time, Ben made Rey come at least twice around him. They were a mess of slick and sweat, and neither one cared. 

On the 5th day, Rey didn’t wake up with the same painful need. Ben was sound asleep beside her, and she glanced over his peaceful features. He still smelled like sex on a stick, but she was grateful to not be crawling out of her skin. 

Ben was her Alpha. And her Doctor, though she found it harder and harder to remember that fact. She should feel some sort of ethical conflict, but she didn’t. He’d been so tender with her, and though she’d never experienced heat before, she knew the way he’d cared for her had been beyond the biological imperative. She  _ did _ feel like this was her home, more than any place or person ever had, whether or not that was said in the heat of the moment. But she was still in such a swirl of heat hormones and emotions, it was hard to tell. 

Ben stirred in his sleep, and his eyes fluttered open. “Rey?” He asked sleepily, reaching for her and rubbing a hand possessively between her shoulder blades. “Is everything ok?”

“Mmmmhmmm,” Rey answered, before pulling Ben on top of her. “I think my heat’s almost over,” Rey started and Ben nodded his head, kissing her softly. 

“I can smell you Rey. I know,” he smiled.

“Oh, right.”  _ Remember? He’s your doctor. _

He kissed her softly once more before slowly thrusting into her. Rey moaned into his mouth, her nagging thought evaporated. As they moved together, they set a slow pace. There was no frantic kissing or clawing. This was two people making love. 

_ Love _ . 

The thought pulled Rey out of it again and she froze. Ben paused, kissing her temple. “Rey, what is it?”

Rey pushed the feeling down. This wasn’t love. This was residual from her heat. Right? Or did she have feelings?

She shook her head. “Nothing is wrong. Kiss me,” she said, pulling his head down to kiss her. Ben smiled against her lips, and linked fingers with hers by her head, looking in her eyes. 

“You’re amazing Rey,” he said as he slowly thrust within her. Rey was sore, but the feeling of him moving within her still pulled pleasure from deep in her core. Not only did she feel everything, but she knew that this was more than a heat. This was more than fucking. 

“Ben,” she started, gently running nails across his scalp, before cupping his face. Ben leaned into her touch. 

“I think I’m falling for you,” he whispered, eyes closed. Rey stilled, and Ben’s eyes opened to look down at her sparkling haze eyes. 

Rey didn’t respond, but pulled him down for another kiss, and wrapping her legs around him, urged him to move faster. 

They both came together, and it was the last coupling of Rey’s heat. As they laid together, waiting for Ben’s knot to shrink, neither one said anything. The words hung heavy in the air. Ben had feelings for her. Rey had feelings for him. But her heat was over. 

Where do they go from here? 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @howsolocanyougo is amazing and makes this better.


	13. Alt+Ctrl+Delete

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey awoke to the smell of bacon and the feeling of what she was relieved to identify as hunger pains this time. She groaned as she sat up in bed, her hair askew and her body still completely naked. And sticky. She felt absolutely disgusting. And yet, so was totally relaxed and warm. She looked around the room. It smelled so strongly of the two of them. Shifting a little, she felt the sticky slick left over from the week’s activities clinging to the sheets. 
> 
> “Gross,” Rey said to herself, and Ben popped his head around the corner. 
> 
> “Good morning!” he said, his voice chipper and animated. 
> 
> “Ben!” Rey jumped a little, surprised at his sudden appearance.

Rey awoke to the smell of bacon and the feeling of what she was relieved to identify as hunger pains this time. She groaned as she sat up in bed, her hair askew and her body still completely naked. And sticky. She felt absolutely disgusting. And yet, so was totally relaxed and warm. She looked around the room.  It smelled so strongly of the two of them. Shifting a little, she felt the sticky slick left over from the week’s activities clinging to the sheets. 

“Gross,” Rey said to herself, and Ben popped his head around the corner. 

“Good morning!” he said, his voice chipper and animated.  

“Ben!” Rey jumped a little, surprised at his sudden appearance. 

He laughed, and sat next to her on the bed. “Good morning,” he said again softly, kissing her forehead. 

“I’m gross,” Rey whined as he pulled back from her forehead. 

Ben nodded in agreement, a cheeky grin on his face. “Yeah, you are.” Rey slapped him playfully and he ruffled her hair. She groaned internally at how gross it must be, but Ben didn’t seem to care. 

“Food first or shower first?” he asked, and right on cue, Rey’s stomach growled. She looked down with a scowl. 

“I can’t believe I am going to say this, but shower,” she said, surprised at her own choices. Ben chuckled and stood up from the bed. 

“I put fresh towels in the bathroom. Go clean off, and I’ll have breakfast waiting for you when you’re done,” he leaned down to give her head another soft kiss. This time, he inhaled deeply. 

Rey cringed. “I can’t possibly smell good,” she said, laughing uneasily in her discomfort. 

Ben cupped her chin. “Baby, I would take you again right here if you’d have me.” And at that, he turned and strode back into the kitchen.

Rey and Ben had been having sex for days. Heat sex at that. She was exhausted and filthy. And yet, those words lit a small fire in her belly. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and headed to the bathroom. She was sore everywhere, and so exhausted. Of course, both Ben and Leia had told her to expect that after a repressed heat. Stepping under the hot water felt like heaven to her aching muscles.

Taking her time in the shower, her thoughts constantly drifted back to the blurred haze of her heat. 

Ben pushing into her was like coming home. She shivered when she thought back to him filling her slowly, as she dug her nails into his shoulders. The feeling of Ben was like a missing puzzle piece in her life that she never knew about. Not just the feeling of his cock, but his presence. He sated part of her she never knew she desperately needed. She always thought she knew who she was. She worked hard. She fixed things. She was strong. Everything was figured out. But all that time… she was missing one thing. Ben. 

Rey cut the hot water off and rested her head against the wall. She wasn’t sure how she got to this place. Once day working in a junkyard, and the next thing she’s here, and in love with her doctor. 

“Really, Rey? In love with your doctor? This isn’t some lifetime movie,” she muttered, stepping out of the shower and wrapping herself in a towel. It was the heat that made her have these feelings.

She froze on the bath rug though as she remembered what Ben had said last night. 

_ I think I’m falling for you. _

Did he mean that? Or was that something said in the heat of the moment that didn’t mean anything. Rey groaned, and pulled the towel tighter around herself. How did she even get into this position?

“OK, I am just going to get dressed, and go out there, and act normal,” she said, giving herself a pep talk as she dried off and put clothes on. Grabbing one of Ben’s flannels, she paused before slipping it on. 

Part of her thought the better of it, thinking it would come off as needy.  _ Seriously? You just had sex with the guys for days and you’re worried about being thought of as needy? _

Rey rolled her eyes at her own internal monologue and after toweling her hair off, she wandered into the kitchen. Ben was seated at the table already, a spread of breakfast food in front of him. 

Rey’s stomach grumbled loud enough for Ben to look up from his paper. “Ahhh, she emerges,” he said in an announcer voice, before slipping off his glasses. Rey smiled at him, and before she could sit, he pulled her into his lap. 

“I think this seat is better,” he whispered in her ear, before proceeding to feed her. It was as if she were still in heat, with how he was taking care of her. Except now, Rey was of sound mind and body. Her chest swelled at the attention. Ben fed her strips of bacon and affectionately nuzzled into her neck as she picked at a little bit of everything, waving off his attempts to baby her. 

“This is a lot of food,” Rey said munching on a waffle. Ben laughed against her skin and rested his chin on her shoulder. 

“Well, I thought you would be hungry.” Rey rolled her eyes a little. 

“For the record, that was an observation and not a complaint. I’m starving. BUT, you don’t need to hand-feed me,” she said, batting away his hand again. Ben made a little growl of disapproval, before huffing and putting his glasses back on. H went back to reading his book, arms still wrapped around her. 

Once she finished stuffing herself, she curled up more in Ben’s lap. She had spent days on him, entwined with him, but she still couldn’t get enough. Any doubts Rey had about Ben’s feelings were evaporating as he drew little circles on her back with one hand, engrossed in his book and the feel of her snuggling close. And yet…

“Are we going to talk about us?” Rey asked quietly, and then grimaced. “I’m sorry. That just came out. I just…” 

Ben put his book down and turned her to face him. “Rey, we can talk about this whenever you’re ready and feeling rested. I  _ did  _ mean what I said last night, and my feelings haven’t changed.”

Rey swallowed nervously and nodded. “There are some things I guess we need to work out. The therapy worked, I had my heat, but that means I have to leave. Go back to my job, if I even still have it after being gone these past few weeks. I live so far away from here and…”

Ben silenced her with a kiss. “Hey… we’ll figure it out. I know it’s been a lot. Your first heat just ended and I’m sure you’re feeling overwhelmed. I’d like to just… let the dust settle a bit before we lay it out on the table. All I know is that I do have feelings for you, and that hasn’t changed overnight.”

Rey smiled. “You’re right, it’s been pretty intense since I got here. It would be good to let the dust settle.” He kissed her forehead. “And, just so you know, I have feelings for you, too.”

He beamed at her and held her closer. “I hate to say this, but I’ve got to go to the lodge today. Will you be ok here alone?” Rey let out a little noise he took to mean yes, and snuggled deeper under his chin. 

Ben smiled, happy that she was not scared off after the week they had. He could feel how calm she was, and it pleased him. After everything she’d been through, she deserved some peace. “Also, my mother is having a holiday party tomorrow.”

Rey sat up a bit and looked at him. “Isn’t it a bit early? December just started.”

Ben chuckled. “Yeah well, if there’s one thing my mother loves, it’s a good party. Plus, we have a multi-faith home, and she likes to throw a combined ‘Hanukkah-Christmas-Whatever you celebrate party’ earlier in the year. Since Hanukkah falls so early this year, she bumped it up a bit.” 

“Oh. I’ve never been to a holiday party. Uh, are we… or… are you going?” 

“I would love to take you, if you’d go with me?” Ben asked, stroking a piece of hair out of her face. 

“I’d love to!” Rey blurted out. “I mean… I’ve never been to a holiday party before. It’s exciting!”

“Really? Well, I’d love to take you shopping tomorrow, if you’d like to. I figure you still might want some recovery time today.” 

“Sure, tomorrow sounds great.” She smiled and his heart swelled.  _ Look at us, running errands and going to parties like a real couple _ . He kissed her forehead before rising, shifting her into his chair. 

“One more thing… I have something for you.”

Rey cocked her head to the side. “Oh?”

Ben went into the bedroom and came back out with a pocket watch. “I know that you like to take things apart and put them back together. This was my grandfathers. It hasn’t worked in years. As far as I know, it stopped working when he owned it. Since you can’t make it any less functional than it is, I thought you might want to break it down.”

Ignoring his slight teasing, Rey made “gimme” hands, her eyes alight. She went right to work, retrieving her tools and laying them out on the table and taking them to task on the watch. Ben chuckled and started clearing the table. Rey snatched another piece of bacon. “Just leave it… I’ll probably eat it all anyway,” she said between bites.

Ben laughed and went to finish getting ready. As he went to leave, he gave Rey a kiss on her head, inhaling deeply again before heading out the door. 

Outside, the world was covered in white.  _ It must have snowed like crazy these past few days…  we certainly were distracted. _ He smiled to himself and set to work getting the snow off his car.

Luke had asked to see him, and Ben wanted to call in a few favors for the party tomorrow. Still, after taking thirty minutes to de-snow his car, he was over it. He shoveled enough to get on the road, climbed into the Land Rover, and headed down the hill. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a last minute little chapter... think of it as a holiday present! I know I am behind guys... I'm trying! 
> 
> @howsolocanyougo is an angel again keeping me on track and refining my messy chapters!


	14. Updates Ready to be Installed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phasma cocked an eyebrow. 
> 
> “Oh? So the rumors are true. You’ve found an Omega after all. And in a patient, no less. How… scandalous,” the blonde said cooley. Ben frowned and opened his mouth to say something, but Rose stepped forward, creating a barrier between the two.

“Pulled what you need. Come down whenever.”

The bare-minimum of communication — exactly what Ben preferred from his uncle. And he was grateful to see a response at all. He hadn’t been sure if Luke would help him when he emailed a few days prior, asking to pull some records. But he came through for Ben this time.

The lodge seemed quiet in the snow, and the facility was in its natural winter lull. Fewer Omegas and Alphas presented in the winter. The research implied it was out of self-preservation.

Entering the lodge, Ben spotted Rose talking animatedly to a large blonde woman near the dining hall. Phasma. Ben didn’t want to deal with her dry snark today, so he veered off towards Luke’s basement office.

“Ben!” He sighed before turning on his heel.

“Hey, Rose,” he offered back, shoving his hands in his pockets. She jogged over him, Phasma taking her time behind her, long legs eating up the ground despite her slow pace.

“What’s up? How’s Rey doing… uh…” As she spoke, Rose flushed, likely realizing the question was inappropriate. Ben smiled.

“She’s good, Rose. I promise.” She smiled back at him.

“Are you bringing her to the party?”

Ben nodded. Phasma cocked an eyebrow.

“Oh? So the rumors _are_ true. You’ve found an Omega after all. And in a patient, no less. How… scandalous,” the blonde said cooley. Ben frowned and opened his mouth to say something, but Rose stepped forward, creating a barrier between the two.

“So, we’re headed to the mall tomorrow to find dresses… get dolled up! A proper girls day,” Rose explained excitedly, as Phasma looked at her nails.

“A girls day?” Ben asked, looking at Phasma doubtfully.

“Yes, Solo, a girls day. A day with the girls. I need my nails done, and I’d like a new dress for this god-forsaken party. If I must go, I’d rather refresh my arsenal. Need to keep Hux on his game, after all. As you would know, of course…” Phasma grinned at Ben, and he scowled in reply.

“Anyway,” Rose interrupted, “We’d love for Rey to come with us. Can you ask her for us? I was holding off since we weren’t sure if we could, uh, call yet. So um, anyway… if you can just have her call my room if she wants to go, we will take care of all the details.”

Ben nodded. “Sure, I’ll let her know. I’m sure she’d love to go.”

Rose clapped her hands together in glee and bid Ben farewell, scampering back towards the living quarters with the bored willowy blonde in tow.

Ben made his way to Luke’s basement office and knocked on the door.

“Enter.” The voice was rough on the other side of the door. He stepped inside.

“Take a seat, Ben,” Luke motioned to his desk chair, and Ben scowled as he sat down. There was a lecture coming. He could tell.

The two men sat in silence while Luke crossed his arms and leaned back in his leather chair, studying Ben’s face.

“So, what’s your plan with all this?” Luke asked warily.

“I’m not sure yet,” Ben answered honestly. “But, I know I want to make a difference. Maybe I didn’t understand it before, but I do now. I want to help.”

Luke nodded and sat up, pulling a drawer open and withdrawing a stack of files. He considered them for a moment before dropping them on the desk in front of Ben. “Here you go.”

Ben swallowed nervously and reached for the pile.

“One more thing,” Luke said, dropping another file on top. Rey’s name was sprawled on its tab, the words “Test Results” printed underneath. Ben’s eyes widened and shot up to meet Luke’s piercing gaze.

“Are these the…” Ben started, but Luke just nodded.

Ben opened his mouth to ask another question, and Luke shook his head. “I’m not going to diagnose this. I did the tests. You make your own conclusions.”

Ben nodded and stood up, grabbing the files. He turned to leave, and paused. Without looking back, he spoke softly. “Thank you, Uncle,” and left the room.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, nephew,” Luke muttered.

 

\----------------

 

Rey’s ears perked up at the sound of Ben’s car crunching over the snow and rocks as he pulled into the driveway. She scurried to the bedroom, tucking his grandfather’s watch away in her things, and ran back to the living room. She plopped herself down on the floor, hoping to look like she had been working on the puzzle scattered before her on the coffee table.

Ben stepped through the front door moments later, cheeks pink from his brief stint in the cold, and he shook a few snowflakes from his raven hair.

“Hi!” Rey beamed, only just realizing how much she’d missed him, even for a short time.

“Hello, beautiful,” he said, smiling back at her as he dropped the files on his desk. He sat on the couch behind Rey and kissed her on the head, just like he had done before he left.

“How’s it going with the watch?” he asked, surprised to see her working on the puzzle instead of her new toy.

Rey smiled to herself, before shrugging. “I think I need to Google it a bit or something. I’m not 100% on watches… and I want to make sure I get it right.” The lie rolled off her tongue easily and Ben seemed to buy it. “How was the lodge?”

“Oh! I saw Rose and Phasma and they want to take you dress shopping tomorrow. For the party. Would you like to go?” He rose from the couch and went to the kitchen to make tea.

Rey grinned. “I’ve never been dress shopping before with a group of girls! Or ever really, I guess. ” Her surprised excitement faded quickly, and she looked conflicted.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Ben asked, picking up on her mood change from across the room.

“I mean, we said we were going to do that together. Is that ok?” Rey asked tentatively.

Ben let out a little laugh, and rubbed his thumb across her cheek. “Of course it is. I want you to have fun. With me. With them. Just because you’re my…” Ben stopped himself. He paused for a second and regrouped, finding a different angle. “I want to make you happy. Just because I’m an Alpha and you’re an Omega doesn’t mean you have to do what  I tell you. You should do what you want to do. It’s time to get back to normalcy, and I think part of that would be going out with some friends, doing some shopping, and getting our party on tomorrow night. What do you think?”

Rey smiled. “I would love to go with the girls tomorrow.”

“Good! Give Rose a call, then. They’re excited to take you,” Ben said with a chuckle, and handed Rey his cell phone. She jumped up and ran to the bedroom, eager to tell Rose the good news.

Ben was itching to dive into the files -- it had been too long since he last was excited about research and tests results, and these were Rey's no less -- but he was wary of looking through them with Rey there. She was finally so comfortable around him, he didn't want to jeopardize that by giving her a reminder that he is her doctor. That she is the object of more than his affection: his  **research** . Her time out of the house would give him the perfect opportunity to go through what Luke provided , and to see if his assumptions were correct. 

\-------------

 

The girls picked Rey up at 9 am sharp the next morning, rolling up at the cottage in a swanky Mercedes SUV in a silver chrome. Rey kissed Ben on the cheek and jumped in the back while Phasma rolled down the window to greet him where he stood in his pajamas on the front porch, coffee in hand.

“Nice PJs, Solo,” she called from the driver's seat.

“Are you remaking “Flight of the Navigator” with that car? Jesus, Phas….” Ben said with a laugh, sipping his coffee.

“Its fabulous and you love it,” she replied dryly.

Ben scoffed. “Your taste is questionable at best.” Phasma’s neutral face curled into an evil grin.

“Good thing I’m dressing your girlfriend today, then. Toodles, Ben!” She called out as she peeled out of the driveway.

“Damn it,” Ben muttered, heading back into the cabin.

 

\--------------

 

They arrived at the mall almost an hour later, as it was a haul from their mountain compound. After a few stores and no luck for any of the girls, Phasma guided them into a fancier dress shop, where there were all greeted with glasses of champagne.

“Now, _this_ is more like it ladies,” Phasma announced. “Let’s see what we can find.”

After an hour and a few glasses of champagne, everyone had found something but Rey. Rose found a knee-length pink dress, with a flare and sparkles, and her sister Page found a sleek black dress with a low back. Phasma found a curve-hugging white dress that frankly, only she could pull off in the dead of winter.

“You look like a snow queen,” Rey marveled, and Phasma frowned.

“Why don’t we have a dress for you, yet?” she asked, and Rey shrugged.

“I just can’t find anything I like.”

Phasma pursed her lips. “Maybe, it’s because you aren’t pushing your comfort level enough.”

“This is ALL out of my comfort level,” Rey replied, laughing. Phasma’s eyes scanned the store.

“Stay here,” she commanded in her Alpha way. “I think I have an idea.” She strode across the store and came back holding a blood red dress. Rey’s eyes widened.

“Humor me,” Phasma said, handing the dress to Rey, and guiding her towards the dressing room.

Rose gave her a look, as if to say “don’t scare her” but Phasma shrugged her off.

“I can’t get it zipped,” Rey called a few moments later, and Phasma stepped behind the curtain.

“I don’t know about this,” said Rey, looking at her reflection as Phasma zipped her up.

“Let’s get the full effect, ok?” Phasma said, winking. She pulled back the curtain and guided Rey in front of the store’s big three sided mirror.

Rose and Paige gasped. “Rey, oh my god, you look amazing,” said Rose, and Rey smile shyly.

Phasma stood behind her and straightened her shoulders. She lifted her chin and met Rey’s eyes in the mirror. “ _This_ is your dress. Ben isn’t going to know what hit him,” she said, squeezing her arm.

Rey looked at herself in the mirror. She didn’t look like the same girl she was a few weeks ago. Now, there was a woman staring back at her. A _sexy_ woman. Running her hands down her sides, she thought of what Ben’s face would look like when he saw her, and it brought a smile to hers.

“Yeah, this is the one,” she said confidently, and the Tico sisters cheered and applauded.

“Perfect!” Phasma said. “Now the real fun begins. I don’t know about you ladies, but I am feeling like a fucking fairy godmother today. Nails and hair on me. Let’s get changed and go get glam!”

Rey felt giddy as she went to change. The night was going to be something else indeed.   
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am still writing guys, I promise! And @howsolocanyougo is making sure I stay on track. We're headed towards the end...
> 
> Keep an eye out for a new story starting up soon from me... something to get started while this one winds down!
> 
> Pssssst: The dress looks something like this: https://www.promgirl.com/shop/dresses/viewitem-PD1770281?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh6nTjOeM4AIViEBpCh3mGQ24EAQYAiABEgKUYPD_BwE


	15. Malware Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His thoughts drifted to Luke’s files. The morning after Rey’s heat had ended, he knew he could never treat another patient the way he had her. They were so much more than that. So that first morning post-heat, while she slept, he wrote to his uncle with an idea. The files and test results Luke gave him in response validated his hypothesis. And this could be huge. Not just for him and Rey, but for Omegas everywhere. He took another deep pull from the amber liquid and surveyed the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 2/12/2019 - Hi All... I need to take a step away from this story for a bit. I've got another coming down the pipeline, but I have some personal stuff that is hitting a little close to home with it that I didn't foresee. Thank you for understanding, and your comments are all amazing. I promise it won't be for long!

Ben fiddled with the front of his vest. His mother’s parties were always borderline black tie, so he had dressed head to toe in a black suit. He shook his glass to redistribute the ice and took a sip, letting the scotch burn its way down his throat. Of course, he _had_ to show up right on time, meaning he was one of the first people in the room. He hadn’t seen Rey since that morning, and he was surprised at the anxiety that crept in in her absence. _Though I guess this shouldn’t be surprising, given..._

His thoughts drifted to  Luke’s files. The morning after Rey’s heat had ended, he knew he could never treat another patient  the way he had her. They were so much more than that. So that first morning post-heat, while she slept, he wrote to his uncle with an idea. The files and test results Luke gave him in response validated his hypothesis. And this could be huge. Not just for him and Rey, but for Omegas everywhere. He took another deep pull from the amber liquid and surveyed the room. _Now I just need to tell her._

The cafeteria in the lodge was unrecognizable. Warm, rich reds decorated huge trees, reaching for the sky. It was simultaneously elegant and rustic, and had his mother’s touch all over it. As if he had summoned her, she appeared in a doorway and beamed at Ben, heading across the room to embrace him.

“Hi, Mom,” he said as she hugged around his waist.

“Oh Benjamin, you look so grown up! Let’s… let’s go have a little chat shall we?” she said, and Ben swallowed and nodded, understanding. Luke had told her. As they passed the bar on the way, Leia picked up a bottle of Scotch and a glass, and led Ben outside. Fairy lights decorated the covered porch, and a large fire pit in the middle ensured even the outdoor space would be comfortable for everyone.

Leia settled into an adirondack chair and motioned for Ben to do the same.

“Luke told you?” Ben asked, and Leia nodded. He let out a puff of air, and ran his hands through his hair.

“Mom, what are the chances?” he asked, and Leia laughed.

“Slim to none… so of course you found your True Mate with your first patient.” There was no edge to her voice, only kindness and understanding.

“Do you think this True Mate stuff is bullshit?”

Leia frowned. “Language, Ben.” She paused for a second, and composed herself with a sip of her drink. “No, no I don’t think they are. And yet… I can’t say that I have experienced it. Not biologically anyway. I love your father, in our weird, complicated way. But... our bodies, as Alphas, are always telling us something. _Protect. Mate. Mine._ But, I think sometimes we have to push that aside and also consider what our heart is telling us.”

Ben stared into the fire and Leia continued.

“It might have been biology that allowed you to connect, but it’s something else that holds you to that connection. The science behind it can only tell so much.”

Ben nodded as she spoke, brow furrowed in thought. He sighed and let his shoulders fall.

“I love her. I know I shouldn’t… it’s against every oath I swore as a doctor,” Ben started, and Leia huffed.

“The hippocratic oath doesn’t take into consideration true mates and Alphas and Omegas, so let’s start there,” Leia said with a dry laugh. “Tell her, Ben. Tell her everything, and let her decide.”

Ben considered her words as an employee approached them. “Mrs. Organa, the desserts were just delivered. Where should I put them?”

“I’ll be right in,” Leia answered, effectively dismissing them. She stood to leave but looked back at Ben.

“It’ll work out, Ben. Love is a powerful thing, and it’s time you found it,” she said, squeezing Ben’s shoulder before she walked back inside.

Ben sat with his thoughts for a while longer on the porch, until his glass was nearly empty. Poe sauntered outside just as he drained the last drops.

“Benny Boy… it’s cold as fuck out here. Come inside,” he said, ruffling Ben’s hair. Ben ducked away and rose from the chair.

“Why are you like this?” he asked Poe dryly, and Poe just grinned back.

“The ladies will be here soon… Rose just texted Finn that they’re on their way down from Phasma’s suite,” he teased in a sing-song voice. Ben pushed his empty glass into Poe’s hands and walked inside with intention in his steps.

Entering the hall, he could see the place had filled up quite a bit. He looked around for Rey, but to no avail. Poe bumped shoulders with him as he joined his side. “Over there,” he gestured to a set of opening doors, and Ben saw Phasma enter, with Rose and Paige behind her, and then…

“Rey.”

As soon as he spotted her, their eyes locked. She was utterly captivating, and everything else melted away. Her hair was down, curled, and pulled back from her face on one side, exposing her gland. The red dress, God… Ben was going to have to thank Phasma 100 times over. It fit Rey like a glove, and made Ben’s pulse quicken. The crowd between them parted like the Red Sea, and they walked towards each other until meeting in the middle of the dance floor.

“Rey,” Ben repeated, voice full of wonder. She blushed and looked away. He tilted her chin to look up at him and leaned forward and nuzzled her neck, brushing his thumb over her gland.

Rey closed her eyes at the sensation. She had been anxious, too, being away from him for the longest time since her heatthey met, but now… it was like she was home. Like they were two halves of a whole. It was so easy to get lost in him, and as she opened her eyes, she remembered where they were. Standing in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by people.

“People are staring,” Rey said, laughing nervously. Ben pulled her close, his head still buried in her neck.  

“Are they?” he asked, pulling back to look her in the eyes. His thumb brushed her cheek softly. “I only see you. Just you.”

Ben’s free hand wrapped around her back, and his other moved from her face to hand, sweeping her up in a dance.

Slowly, the floor began to fill up with couples. Phasma was being elegantly twirled around by a slightly shorter red haired man. Poe’s head rested on Finn’s shoulder as they swayed back and forth. Paige and her sister Rose dramatically waltzed with each other, giggling.

But to Ben and Rey, they were the only two people in the room.

Leia watched from the corner of the room, smiling.

“Those kids going to make it?” said a gruff voice to her left, and Leia reached down and to squee Han’s hand.

“I think so,” she said, and turned to look at her husband.

“Want to see if I got any moves left, darlin’?” Han asked, gesturing with a nod to the dance floor. Leia’s smile widened.

“Alright you scoundrel… let’s see what you got!” and Han swept her up into a waltz around the floor.

\----------

Once the couples got a few dances under their belt, the crowd her chattier, buzzed on the open bar and holiday spirit. Ben and Rey were stuck like glue all night. His hand was always around her and he nuzzled her neck constantly. They were acting like teenage sweethearts. Rey couldn’t stop blushing at his public displays of affecting, and allowed herself to get lost in his scent and touch as they swayed on the dance floor.

“Why is Solo acting like a needy Omega?” Phasma asked as she joined the others at their table.

“Hey!” Hux protested.

Phasma looked over, and pinched the man’s cheek affectionately. “Oh, you’re not needy, love. But seriously…”

Poe laughed, letting Finn lean his head against his shoulder. “Oh, they’re endgame. You should have seen him Alpha out on Finn when he thought Finn was making a move. Got Finn’s Alpha mode turned up to 11.”

“Hey!” Finn protested, and Phasma laughed.

“Really?” she asked, eager for gossip.

“Well, if I was at an 11, then Ben must have been hovering at a 16,” Finn said with a huff, and Poe gave his leg an affectionate squeeze.

“And I’m glad you were,” Poe mumbled into his temple before giving it a kiss. Phasma rolled her eyes at the display.

“Wait, who is this girl?” asked Hux.

“Huxie, how out of the loop are you?” she asked with mock disbelief.

“Don’t call me that,” he scowled back, and even Rose and Paige snickered at the nickname.

“Those two are the real deal. It’s like Ben found his True Mate,” Finn replied, and Hux frowned. So Ben _had_ found someone?

\-------------------

“I thought ‘True Mates’ were bullshit?” Hux said snidely as he dropped into a space beside Luke later that evening.

“Oh god, where did you slither up from?” Luke asked dryly, sipping his drink.

“You failed to answer my question, doc.”

“I didn’t think it warranted an answer.”

Hux pressed his lips together. “Well, I certainly don’t think that Ben got this notion all on his own.”

“Of course he didn’t,” Luke snapped, giving Hux an annoyed look.

Hux’s eyebrows rose. “Aha! So it is true.”

Luke frowned. The little shit had baited him. “Leave it alone, Hux. I know you and Ben had your fun once. He’s moved on. You should too.”

Hux’s pressed into a tight line again. “Perhaps,” he mumbled, turning away from Luke and towards the bar. A song was winding down, and Hux watched as Leia cut in to dance with her son. Rey obliged, smiling, and gestured to the bar. “Perhaps not.” Hux grinned and slid in beside her.

“I don’t think we’ve met yet. Armitage Hux,” he said extending a hand to her as he schooled all maliciousness from his smile.

Rey was surprised at his sudden appearance. “Oh, hi! I’m Rey,” she shook his hand.

“So, are you a new companion here? Or perhaps, a very pretty new nurse?” Hux inquired, gesturing to the bartender to fill up his glass.

Rey fidgeted uncomfortably. “Oh, no. I’m here with Ben.”

“Oh! Ben has a _girl_ friend. That’s wonderful news. And where did you two meet?” He was being too inquisitive. Too fake friendly. Rey winced internally.

“Oh you know…” she gestured to the air haphazardly. “Sometimes these things just… happen.”

“Now, Rey… that’s an unusual name,” Hux started, before looking up and noticing Ben catch his eye from the dance floor. He knew his time with the girl was short. “Ben had a patient by that name recently. That’s a funny coincidence. I mean, I know Ben said he would never date a patient, so you couldn’t possibly be the same Rey, could you? I thought he had more patients lined up, so having a mate around would put quite the damper on his research, and...”

Ben was in between Rey and Hux before his sentence finished.

“Benny! I was just talking to your date here. Rey is a pretty name,” he began, and attempted to look over Ben’s shoulder at Rey. “I actually don’t think you told me how _exactly_ you _did_ meet and…”

Ben lowered his head and looked Hux in the eye. “I don’t hit Omegas, but you’re really pushing it right now, Hux. Back off.” The anger rolled off Ben’s scent in waves.

Hux patted his arm gently. “There, there, Benny… I wasn’t going to take your Omega away from you. I was simply getting to know her. You know, one Omega to another.”

“PHASMA!” Ben’s voice boomed across the hall, and when the tall blonde saw the situation unfolding, she was at Hux’s side in an instant, looking irritated.

“Curb your Omega,” Ben said through gritted teeth, and Phasma frowned at Hux.

“Armie… must you be such a shit stirrer?”

Hux shrugged innocently. “I was just having some holiday fun. Everyone is such a spoilsport. Phasma, I’m bored now. Can we go?”

Phasma turned Hux and pushed him gently away from Ben and Rey, mouthing a “sorry” as she walked away. Ben bent down to look at Rey.

“Are you ok?” he asked.

Rey nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. What was that all about?”

“Hux has a bit of a… I really don’t want to call it a jealous streak, but...”

Rey’s eyes widened. “Oh. OH. You and Hux?” she asked tentatively.

Ben sighed. “Yes, a few times. Many years ago. One of those… biology things I guess… just… in the moment. It didn’t mean…”

Rey waved off his explanation. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. Everyone has a past. I just, I wasn’t ready to meet yours. Or to explain us yet. I mean, _I_ don’t know how to even start explaining us.”

Ben pulled Rey to him and inhaled her sweet scent. The smell of the ocean rolled over him, and Rey felt the tension leave his body.

“I’m sorry I went all Alpha, again” he muttered into her hair. Leaning back, he took in her face, rubbing his thumb over her cheek again and again. “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”

Rey giggled, and ducked her head in a blush. “Yeah, just a few times.”

Ben pulled her chin up and kissed her. “Once more then. You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Rey’s heart was racing, and she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him again. “Take me home,” she whispered against his lips, and he smiled.

“As you wish,” he murmured in reply, and the two headed for the door.

Hux watched them go from across the bar, and Phasma frowned. “Why must you be like this?” she asked him.

“Oh, you love me. I just wanted to press a few of Solo’s buttons,” he answered back.

“Ben is one thing, but the girl is actually sweet. Don’t let you old feelings get in the way, Armie,” Phasma warned, and Hux lolled his head to look at her.

“I only have eyes for you. _Alpha_ ,” he said, and Phasma grabbed him by the chin.

“Good Omega,” she praised. She kissed him, and promptly stood up, pulling him by his tie out of the party.

\----------

The ride home was stifling. It was one thing to be around each other, and the intoxicating scent they gave off, in a big space. But in the SUV on the way up the mountain, they were drowning in it. Ben was hard in moments, and it took everything he had to keep his hands on the steering wheel. Rey chewed on her lip, her dress bunched into her fists.

So when they got out, it was all systems go.

Ben and Rey burst through the door of the cabin, tearing at each other’s clothes. He slammed the door behind them, and suddenly, she was up against the door, and his mouth at her neck.

“Ben,” Rey pleaded, scrambling to pull him closer. He had her out of the dress in moments and hitched her legs around his waist, carrying her to the bedroom. He pushed all the papers and files to one side of the desk, and sat her down on the edge, unable to make the final few steps to the bed. Ben dropped to his knees in front of her, pulling her underwear down her legs, and burying his face in between her legs. His tongue was magic, but Rey needed more.

“Ben, please… fuck me,” she begged, and Ben rose, shucking off his pants. Rey frantically unbuttoned his dress shirt, but before she could pull it down his arms, he sheathed himself into her hot, wet core. A few thrusts in, and the stacked files and paperwork fell on the floor.

“Oh shit,” Rey gasped, reaching for the papers.

“Fuck ‘em. I’ll pick them up later,” Ben spoke into her skin, kissing her neck and nipping at her pulse.

Suddenly Rey was off the desk again, and she found herself on all fours on the bed with Ben behind her.

“Is this ok?” he asked, and Rey nodded.

“Please Ben. Please… knot me,” Rey panted, and Ben sank back into her. It wasn’t long before they were both falling over the edge, landing in a sweaty pile in the bed.

Ben kissed her shoulder softly, as they both struggled to catch their breath.

“Rey?” he asked, after their breathing had slowed.

“Hmm?” she said, voice so sweet and soft on the edge of sleep.

“I need to tell you something,” Ben whispered into the dark.

“Now?” Rey asked, and Ben could tell she was fighting to stay awake. “Can it wait until tomorrow?”

Ben wanted to tell her everything. The tests. His new idea. That they were true mates. He had been dying to since he read the files that morning. But maybe now wasn’t the best time. “Yes, it can wait,” he answered softly, giving her another kiss on her shoulder.

“Ok. Goodnight, Ben,” Rey said, and a few minutes later Ben recognized that she was sound asleep.

“I love you, Rey,” Ben whispered, before drifting off to sleep.

\--------------

Rey awoke sometime in the early morning, and stretched out as she stirred. Ben was still curled around her, fast asleep. She slid out from under his heavy arm, knot long deflated by now, and padded towards the bathroom.

Passing the desk, she noticed the paperwork scattered all over the floor. In their frantic lovemaking the night before, she’d completely forgotten about the mess they made. She smiled at the memory and bent to pick them up. It was impossible to tell which papers were from which files, so Rey gathered them up to tidy them up a bit, when something caught her eye: her name.

She froze, the sudden reminder of the actual nature of their relationship — doctor and patient — jolting her. She should leave it alone and let Ben deal with the papers. She shouldn’t snoop. But she couldn’t resist. It seemed to be some sort of test result. She read through the chart, and saw her name paired beside Finn’s, Poe’s, and some other resident Alphas. Whatever was being measured, the numbers seemed to be low, but when she got to her name beside Ben Solo’s, the test result was 99.99%. Rey scanned the page again. _What is this?_

Turning the sheet over revealed a breakdown of the results, and at the bottom of the page, in the notes, was printed:

“Biological Mate Confirmed (True Mate)”

Rey’s heart fluttered. True Mates. Ben was her True Mate? She glanced back at Ben’s softly snoring body and smiled. She didn’t even know what being True Mates meant, but it sounded promising. It sounded _right_.

Grinning, she returned to her task. The last page she reached for was also covered in names, but these were unfamiliar. She read the page heading, and her heart sank.

“Potential Omegas for Dr. Solo Fertility Study”

It was like she’d been punched in the gut. Of course. She was his first patient for this experimental therapy, and it worked. Of course there would be others. To him, she was just another name in a file. Whatever the test results had revealed, he was clearly capable of disregarding them and continuing on with his research. His research which entails living with and sleeping with other people.

Tears threatened to fall, but Rey blinked them back. _How could I have been so foolish?_ This wasn’t love. This was just a doctor, doing his job.

The cabin she’d called home over the previous weeks, the most home she’s ever had, the place where she fell for him suddenly felt like a cage. A maze, and she was the rat. And so, Rey did the only thing she felt like she could do. She ran.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys... big thanks again to @howsolocanyougo for keeping me on track and working through some of the harder points. 
> 
> I think we've only got a few chapters left. 
> 
> Also, I am so so SORRY I fell behind responding to comments! I think I am all caught up! I love and adore ALL of your feedback! 
> 
> Hopefully NEW story posted by the end of the week.....


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